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by clarako_ (CoNic18)



Category: The Resident (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:20:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26364823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoNic18/pseuds/clarako_
Summary: Wow, it's been a while! This has turned out to be longer than I thought, so get ready for some fluff, smut, and CoNic being cute moving in together.Hope you like it!I do not own these characters, and italicized chunks are directly from episodes of The Resident.
Relationships: Conrad Hawkins/Nicolette Nevin
Comments: 8
Kudos: 36





	1. I'm Ready

The morning sun slipped through the windows in Conrad’s apartment, illuminating his and Nic’s bodies as they laid in bed. Today was their day off, which meant they could wake up to the sun rather than to the blaring of an alarm clock set at an ungodly early hour. They had settled back into their rhythm following them getting back together, Jessie’s death, and dealing with Conrad’s injuries after the explosion in the proton-beam accelerator room. So much had happened in the last few weeks, and things were finally beginning to settle down. But something about the way Nic was acting this morning in particular, though, was slightly off-putting––she was quiet, gazing away from Conrad as they laid together.

_“What are you thinking about?” Conrad inquired softly. She was looking out the window, and he could see the thoughts whirling around in her mind._

_Nic rolled over to face him, propping herself up as she inhaled deeply. Her eyes met his, and for a brief moment, he thought there was something wrong, but he immediately realized that it wasn’t fear in her eyes. It was excitement. “I’m ready,” she whispered, releasing her breath. “Let’s move in together.”_

_A smile spread across Conrad’s face, and his heart skipped a beat. He brought her close into him as he sighed, “mmh, absolutely.” He kissed her lips, then down her neck and onto her arm as she giggled and rolled on top of him. “As soon as possible,” he added as she settled and snuggled into him. He was trying his best not to push her, and she respected that immensely. But now, she was ready._

_“I just wish we could have gotten that house you showed me when we first started talking about it. It was so perfect for us,” she whispered, thinking back to the time Conrad first brought up moving in together and showed her the most beautiful home. She really did love that house, but she just didn’t feel the timing was right. Now, though, she had never felt more certain about anything. She wanted to move forward in their relationship. She wanted it all._

_“Mmm, in this market somebody probably already took it,” he replied. “But, we both have great places now—I could move into yours or you could move into mine?” he added, stroking her hair as she considered those options. He was still giddy over the fact that he and Nic were going to move in together. He had waited for this moment since he showed her that house the first time, and now that it was finally here, he was thrilled. This meant she wanted to make more of a commitment to him. She was giving him her everything, and he was ready to do the same._

_“Are those our only options?” she asked, raising her eyebrows._

_“No, they’re just the quickest,” he replied, meeting her lips with his as she smiled. He settled back down, bringing her face close to him—into the space between his neck and cheek––a space she has grown to love immensely. “This place is rent-controlled,” he began, looking around his apartment, “and I’ve clearly nailed the urban chic look,” he added, his voice low, as he kissed her forehead._

_She looked around at the apartment. It was quite nice, but she didn’t see her and Conrad settling down in a place like this. “It’s just not very private,” she replied, thinking of enjoying their moments together in the future under one roof (without the fear of neighbors filing noise complaints…)._

_“Mm, it’s a short walk to work,” he replied, running his fingers gently through her hair again._

_“Yeah? How’s the ankle? I don’t think you’ll be walking to work anytime soon,” she stated, raising her eyebrows at him._

_“Is that your way of saying we should move into your place?” he asked, a slight tease in his voice as he kissed her again._

_“No actually,” she replied, removing her lips from his. She sighed as she laid down next to him. “With everything that’s happened…” she began, reflecting on all of the events––losing Jessie, reconnecting with both of their fathers, drama with Dr. Lane Hunter, work stress, their relationship––it was truly a lot._

_“It’s been a rough year,” he stated, reaching his hand to stroke her back gently, knowing Jessie’s death was still heavily impacting her and wanting to be there for her in every possible way._

_“I just think it would be nice to have a fresh start, you know? Something that’s ours. Together,” she said with a smile. Conrad smiled in response, holding her next to him._

“I like the sound of that,” he whispered, sliding both of his hands into her hair again as she moved closer to him.

“I love you, Conrad,” she began, “and I want to wake up every morning, go to sleep every night, make meals, watch movies, walk to work, and everything else I would do by myself living in my own place with you in _our_ own place. I want to come _home_ to you.”

He completely melted. “I love you, too, Nic. And that’s exactly what I want, too,” he replied.

She smiled, then pressed her lips to his gently. But this little gentle and sweet gesture became heated quickly, their movements becoming brazen as the fire of their desire and excitement burned inside their bodies. Her kiss traveled from his lips down his neck as he enveloped her in his arms. Their skin was radiating heat, their fingers tangling in each other’s hair as their lips danced around each other’s bodies.

“I… love… you…” Nic whispered between kisses. “I… love… you… so… much.”

“God… I’m so lucky…” Conrad growled.

“Mmh… we both are,” she replied. “I can’t wait to… have this… every morning… and every night… in _our_ home,” she breathed as she trailed kisses around his jaw.

“Nic…” he began, his breathing heavy. “Wow… I love you… so much… and maybe… when we have our own place… you can stop… making me… buy a new damn toothbrush… almost every time you’re over… because yours… never makes it… into your overnight bag,” he chuckled.

She rolled her eyes, sitting up slightly to give him a joke-disapproving look. “I don’t forget every time. Now, shut up and kiss me,” she teased, succumbing to giggling and pulling him close to her again.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” he replied, crashing his lips onto hers, causing her to moan softly, quietly, almost inaudibly. But he was able to feel it as she responded by drawing him in even closer, eliminating every single inch of space between their bodies.

They were rudely interrupted, however, by Conrad’s phone ringing. They both scoffed, annoyed beyond words.

“Why,” Conrad remarked, deflated and slightly grumpy. Nic shook her head as he rolled over and checked the caller ID. “It’s my dad. I hope everything is okay. I’m sorry, Nic, but I have to take this,” he added, worry rising in his voice.

“Not a problem. I need to wash up anyway. Take your time,” she replied, kissing him once more before sliding out from underneath the sheets and pulling Conrad’s shirt, which was laying on the floor, tossed there from last night, over her soft cream skin. She stood and walked to the bathroom as she heard Conrad’s voice on the phone. She turned the faucet on, leaning over the sink and splashing some water on her face. As she grabbed the hand towel from the countertop to dry off, something caught her attention peeking out from the drawer. It was the flyer from the open house Conrad took her to when he first brought up the subject of moving in together. A sly smile spread across her face as she snapped a photo of the front, collecting the phone number of the agent as well as the address of the house. She walked out of the bathroom to find Conrad still on the phone. He gave her a quick thumbs up, letting her know nothing bad was happening. She felt relieved, so she decided to move on with her new operation—checking whether that house was still available.

“Hey, I’m going to make a quick phone call out on the balcony. Come out whenever you’re done, and we can talk about brunch plans,” she whispered, her lips grazing over his forehead.

He nodded, mouthing “I love you” to her.

She blushed. “I love you, too,” she replied, kissing behind his ear, causing his lips to part and a breath to escape. She bounded outside, hoping that some miracle would let this house still be available. She slid the door closed as she dialed the number on the flyer. It rang a few times, but just when she was about to hang up, someone answered. She felt her heart flutter when she heard a woman’s voice on the other end, recognizing it as the same as the woman who was there with her and Conrad when they first came to see the house.

“Brown Real Estates, you’re speaking to Martha Brown, how can I help you today?” the woman greeted warmly.

“Hi, this is Nic Nevin, Conrad Hawkins’ girlfriend. I hope you’re doing well. I was just calling and wondering about the property on 34th,” Nic replied.

“Why, hello dear! What a pleasure it was to meet you those few months ago and to hear your voice now. I’m doing well, thank you. Ah, yes, what a lovely place that little house is. Conrad just loved it, I remember that. I know there’s been a lot of interest in it recently, but let me check if it’s available,” Martha responded. “One second, and I’ll pull the status.”

“Take your time, thank you so much for doing this,” Nic added.

“Of course, dear. How is everything lately? I hope you and Conrad are well,” Martha said as she typed and clicked through her computer to find the information Nic needed.

“We’re doing really well, thank you for asking,” Nic replied, unable to stop the smile from spreading across her face. She couldn’t help but smile when she thought of Conrad, and she just hoped that this would work out.

“That’s so good to hear! Alright, I’m just loading up the status page for the property. You’re talking about the one on 34th and Park Ave, correct?” Martha clarified.

“Yes, that’s the one!” Nic replied enthusiastically.

Martha was quiet for a moment, and Nic began to feel nervous. “Well, it doesn’t look promising, Miss Nevin. It seems like someone was getting ready to make a strong offer earlier this morning. I’m sorry, hon,” Martha stated, a tinge of sadness in her voice.

“Oh, um, no worries, thanks for going through all the trouble for me. I really appreciate that,” Nic replied, unable to conceal the disappointment in her voice.

“I’m sorry, I know that’s not what you wanted to hear. But nothing is finalized yet, so I will call you immediately when I hear anything,” Martha replied, instilling hope in Nic.

“You are so sweet, thank you so much,” Nic added, hearing the door behind her open. She turned around to see Conrad, still shirtless, holding two cups of coffee.

“Oh, it’s nothing, dear. I am holding out hope for you! You two seem like a lovely couple. Take care now,” Martha replied, Nic able to hear the smile in her voice.

“You, too. Thanks again,” Nic said before hanging up and taking both of the cups from Conrad’s outstretched arms, placing them on the railing. “Mm, hello,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him softly. His hands rested on her hips, and he pulled her closer, closing the space between them as he kissed her back. “How is your dad?” she asked, pulling back and running her fingertips down his chest.

“He’s doing well, and he says hi by the way. He just wanted to grab dinner with us at some point because he just came into town today, so I was going to ask you if you had a date preference,” he replied, combing his fingers through her hair with one hand as he held her close to him with the other.

“What about tonight? I don’t think we had anything planned,” she answered. “It could be a combined seeing your dad and celebrating us committing to moving in together,” she began, sliding one of her hands up into his hair, dragging her nails against his scalp. “Then you and I can have our own little celebration when we get back home,” she added in a low voice, smiling up at him as his eyes darkened.

“That sounds perfect, Nic. I’ll let him know,” he replied. “But first…” he said, his voice trailing off as he captured her lips in a passionate kiss. Though the two of them had been together a while, they still made each other weak in the knees. They found themselves falling in love with each other more and more with each passing day. “Damn, Nic,” he whispered, his lips on her neck.

She shivered at the vibrations down her neck from his voice, and she let out a soft breath. “Conrad…” she began, “you are incredible.” All of her senses were locked on him. Her body craved him, and he was always on her mind. He consumed her. And she did the same to him.

He pulled her closer to him. She didn’t think their bodies could possibly be any closer, but they were, now breathing the same air and feeling the same heat as they resumed their passionate kissing. Nic giggled as his hands wandered down below the edge of the shirt she was wearing, feeling her legs start to shake. He loved her laugh—well, he loved everything about her—and he exhaled deeply, attempting to release some of the tension that was building up inside of him. Her fingers mussed his hair, and he closed his eyes at the feeling. They were lost in each other, not caring that they were outside on Conrad’s balcony. Next to nothing could have disrupted them, well besides one thing.

“You crazy kids!” an older woman yelled from the balcony opposite Conrad’s.

Conrad and Nic separated immediately, looking in the direction of where the voice came from and seeing the older woman standing on her balcony, watering her flowers.

“Sorry, Mrs. Jensen,” Conrad said, slightly embarrassed, to the woman across the way.

“Keep it PG, Hawkins!” Mrs. Jensen replied. “Y’all are young and hot, but I’m just trying to water my plants out here and I don’t need to see _all that_ at 7:30 in the morning.”

Nic blushed, her entire face and even down her neck turned red. She giggled as Conrad raised his eyebrows at Mrs. Jensen’s remarks.

“Noted,” Conrad replied, chuckling, turning a little pink himself. “Nic, you heard the lady. I can’t ‘keep it PG’ with you. You know that. Especially when you’re wearing _nothing_ but _my_ shirt,” he whispered to Nic.

She blushed again, her breath hitching. “Drink your coffee, dumbass,” she giggled, handing him his cup as she held hers. “I’m not sure I can keep anything going after a 90-year-old woman just told us to ‘keep it PG’ and put us in our place,” she added.

“Yeah, talk about the ultimate cockblock…” he chuckled as Nic smiled, taking a sip of his coffee as she leaned against him, nestling her head in the space between his face and shoulder. He brought his arm around her waist as they felt the sun rise higher into the sky, warm rays enveloping their bodies, and they thought about their future. Their eyes met a couple times, exchanging words unsaid.

_I can’t wait have more mornings next to you like this,_ he thought.

_Me, too,_ she thought back.

_I can make you all your favorite meals._

_I can hum those songs you like as we both get ready for bed._

_I can’t wait to stand in our house and call it home._

_I can’t wait to make a home with you._


	2. Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning, sexy times ahead! Definitely M-rated stuff at the end ;)

“Fuck, Conrad,” she whispered as he pinned her against the wall, her soft, cream skin reddening with heat and passion.

“God, Nic, I don’t think I can wait until after dinner,” he replied, kissing her with so much hunger and desire she swore she felt her legs melt into a puddle beneath her. As if he didn’t already make her feel like she needed to pounce on him, wearing his black button down and black skinny jeans, he had to go and say things like _I don’t think I can wait until after dinner_. This man was going to be the death of her. Her breath was ragged, and she unconsciously arched her body into his, causing him to close his eyes for a brief moment.

“Your dad is going to be here any minute,” she replied before a low moan she had been stifling finally pushed its way out of her throat. His hands wandered from her face down to her chest and she drew in a sharp breath.

“You know I can’t resist you in this dress,” he whispered, his hot breath on her cheek, his hands massaging her breasts. She was wearing a dark maroon, skin-tight halter mini dress, which was simultaneously extraordinarily elegant and extremely sexy. Her long legs and gorgeous physique were highlighted, and the dress hugged all the right places, making her simply irresistible. As soon as she stepped out of the bathroom after getting changed into her dress from the t-shirt she was wearing earlier, Conrad couldn’t keep his hands off her. He pinned her to the wall as soon as he watched her walk towards him. She raised her eyebrow as she saw him approach, but she did not get a chance to say what she was planning on saying because his lips were already on hers within a matter of seconds. She instantly forgot what she wanted to say, her only thoughts being consumed by him. She caved as soon as his hands touched her skin, and she craved his touch. They had been flustering each other all day, never able to actually find release because they continued to be interrupted—first by Conrad’s dad’s call, then by his neighbor, and now, it was a knock at the door that caused them to groan in frustration from again being unable to quench their desire.

Nic felt herself almost start to lose control, Conrad was exciting her with his hands and lips, and she realized how much he needed to see her come undone. The sound of knocking at the door was possibly the most offensive sound either of them could imagine in that moment because it meant they had to press pause. Though, that seemed like an impossible task. Conrad pulled away from her and gazed into her eyes, feeling lost in the storm that was passion, lust, and love swirling in her chocolate irises. His pupils were dilated, his sweet brown eyes darkened with desire.

“God, I love you,” Nic sighed, dragging her hand down the side of his face as he attempted to catch his breath.

“I love you, too, Nic. You’re everything,” he replied, interlacing his fingers with hers and kissing the top of her hand.

Another knock at the door followed, drawing both of their attention away from each other at last. “It’s open!” Conrad yelled, stepping slightly away from Nic so they were presentable to his dad. Nic adjusted her dress and hair while Conrad smoothed down his shirt as they both took a few deep breaths, trying to control and normalize their breathing.

Marshall stepped inside, catching Conrad and Nic making their way over to greet him, and he smiled. “Good to see you, son,” Marshall began, “and you, too, Nic,” he added as he enveloped Conrad in a tight hug.

“I missed you, dad,” Conrad whispered, still embracing his father.

“Always a pleasure to see you, Marshall,” Nic added.

“I’ve missed you both, too,” Marshall replied as Conrad released him from his embrace.

Marshall reached over to give Nic a quick squeeze before they all headed out the door. Conrad slipped his hand into Nic’s and she couldn’t help but smile. The small little acts of love sometimes felt far more intimate than the bigger ones. As Nic drove, she could feel Conrad’s eyes on her the whole time, and as they came to a stoplight or a stall in traffic, Nic would steal a hasty glance at him. He looked good, the black button-down paired with black jeans fitting his gorgeous body perfectly. His hair was just a little messy on the top, and she loved it. The little bracelets, ring, and chain around his neck all accentuated little pieces of his personality and past that she respected immensely. She loved the way the cold metal of his ring felt against her hot skin, or when the charms on his chain slid up and down her bare body as he hovered above her. When he twirled his ring or fiddled with his bracelets or chain as he spoke, she felt her skin start to boil. Something about his voice coupled with such simple actions really did it to her. She could listen to him talk about anything for hours, his voice enchanting and drawing her in. Every word that fell through his lips and rolled off his tongue was heavenly. But when he talked about something he was passionate about, she melted, feeling like she was falling in love with him all over again.

After letting her mind wander, memories and desires for Conrad flooding her mental space, Nic finally parked the car. Marshall thanked her for driving as he stepped out of the car, leaving her and Conrad together. But they didn’t _do_ anything. They simply looked at each other, eyes wandering, thinking about what it was going to feel like to get back to his apartment and peel their clothes off each other. Skin touching skin, breath touching breath, hearts beating in sync. Release, finally. She shuddered visibly, and Conrad slid his hand up her thigh, causing her to sigh and flutter her eyes closed. He watched her closely, and he felt her tense at his touch.

“Fuck,” she whispered, opening her eyes and turning his gaze to him.

“Goddamn,” he whispered back, seeing a fiery passion flame burning in her eyes. The look she gave him almost did him in right there, and if he could have it his way, he would have grabbed her face and claimed her with his tongue, feeling her lips on his, tasting her. But his dad was standing outside, probably wondering what was taking them so long, and they were in a busy parking lot.

She smiled, exhaling deeply, and she placed her hand on top of his, still on her thigh. _I want you so bad right now, but we have to go_ , she thought.

_I know,_ he thought too, nodding in response to her silent communication.

Stealing one last second to look at each other, they finally stepped out of the car. They entered the restaurant, walking to their table guided by a lovely waitress, when Conrad received a phone call. He glanced at his phone, and Nic stole a quick peek, too. And she was lucky she did, because it was the real estate agent, Martha, she had called earlier.

“Hm,” Conrad said quietly, confused about why she was calling her. “Why is Martha calling?” he asked, looking back to Nic.

“Who is Martha?” she asked, trying to act like she didn’t know.

“The real estate agent that showed us that house,” he replied quickly. The time was running out for him to answer.

“Probably a butt-dial. If it was something important, she’d leave a voicemail,” she began, desperately wanting Conrad to let the call go. “Let’s turn off our phones for tonight and enjoy dinner,” she added, sliding her arm to link with his.

“It just seems so strange that she would call today when we were just talking about moving––” he began before Nic shot him a glare. “Okay, you’re right,” he said as he chuckled softly. “Phone off,” he added, switching his phone to vibrate only.

Nic smiled, and she was so thankful that he didn’t pick up. She realized that she needed to call Martha, now. It seemed as though she had news, and Nic desperately needed to know what was going on. Just as the three of them sat down at their table, Nic stood. “I have to use the restroom quickly. I will be right back,” she stated, kissing Conrad quickly on the cheek. “Go ahead and get started on whatever wine you want, just please, keep it red. I can’t handle white tonight,” she whispered to him, knowing that white wine tended to make her, well, horny. Given the fact that she still hadn’t fully recovered from Conrad’s touch in the car, she didn’t need any more edge, else she’d just jump into his bones in the restaurant right in front of his dad and everybody. Conrad shuffled a little in his seat, understanding her comment and thinking back to all of the building desire from the day. God, he wasn’t going to make it through the dinner.

Nic made her way quickly to the bathroom, closing and locking the door as she pulled out her phone. She dialed Martha’s number, and she picked up before the first ring even finished.

“Brown Real Estates, you’re speaking to Martha Brown, how can I help you today?” Martha greeted with the same warmth she did when Nic first spoke with her. She clearly didn’t have Nic’s number saved.

“Hi Martha, it’s Nic,” she replied, unable to hide the fact that she was nervous.

“Nic! Oh, thank goodness. I didn’t know how best to reach you since I seemed unable to find your number, so I called Conrad, but he didn’t pick up. I’m so glad you called! I have great news. The house is back on the market! And, like I said when we first met, because I owe Conrad a big favor, if you want the place, it’s yours,” Martha stated, bubbling with excitement.

“Oh my God!” Nic exclaimed, her voice echoing in the bathroom. “Yes, yes, yes! We will absolutely take it! Wow, Conrad is going to flip!”

Martha chuckled softly on the other end of the line. “Congratulations, dear! Can you swing by the office sometime next week before noon to start the paperwork?”

“Yes, absolutely! Oh my God, thank you so much!” Nic exclaimed again, still reeling with excitement. “Can I get back to you with a day?” she asked.

“Absolutely,” Martha replied, and Nic swore she could hear her smile through the phone.

“Wow, I really don’t know how to thank you,” Nic added.

“No need, dear. It seems like this was fate,” Martha replied.

_Fate,_ Nic thought. “Oh, I have one more question, if that is alright.”

“Yes?” Martha asked.

“Can Conrad and I stop by the house once more before we start the paperwork?” Nic inquired.

“Absolutely! I was actually planning on a site visit tomorrow so I could double check everything was in tip-top shape before you sign. I should be done by the evening. How does 5:30 PM look for you?” Martha replied.

“Perfect,” Nic breathed. She just needed to make sure Conrad was ready to leave Chastain tomorrow right on time, but they could definitely make it.

“Lovely,” Martha replied. “I will see you tomorrow, then! Do you need anything else?”

“Chickens…” Nic whispered.

“Hm?” Martha replied, either out of confusion or inability to hear what Nic had softly said.

“I need chickens,” Nic repeated. “I have a friend who owns a little farm just outside of Atlanta. Is it okay if I set up a space for chickens in the backyard?”

“Um, well, I suppose,” Martha replied, still very confused.

“I’m sorry, I should probably explain where this is coming from. When we talked about moving in together again after he showed me the house, he had mentioned that he wanted chickens. Seriously. And he also said it at the house,” Nic added, trying to give her some context.

“Oh! That’s right! I remember him saying that,” Martha replied, finally able to follow Nic’s train of thought. “That would be so sweet to have chickens there. Goodness, that boy of yours is going to completely melt tomorrow.”

“That’s the plan!” Nic said with a smile so wide her cheeks started to hurt. “And thank you so much again. I really don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“Ah, pish posh. Making the both of you this happy is a gift enough,” Martha replied, seeming to say exactly the right things. “Take care now, dear.”

“You, too. And thank you again!” Nic stated, still extremely giddy.

The line disconnected, and Nic couldn’t help but squeal. It really was meant to be. She imagined what it would be like, packing up her and Conrad’s things, driving her car back and forth, placing their things together to make one new space whole. _Home._ Her stomach was doing flips as Martha’s words echoed in her mind, _it seems like this was fate._ It sure as hell was. This was a long time coming. She loved Conrad with every single cell in her body, and she wanted to scream her news loud enough for everybody in the restaurant to hear, but she decided that it would be best to surprise him the same way he did for her. She devised the perfect plan within a matter of seconds, everything coming easy when it was about Conrad. When you love someone so much, your brain hardly has to work to create something special, wonderful, and unique. This is what Conrad and Nic had, have, and always will have. Finally, she collected herself, smoothing down her dress before walking back out and sitting beside Conrad. It was literally killing her, not telling him, but she remained strong throughout the entirety of dinner.

Marshall asked about how things at Chastain were going, then he transitioned away from work-talk and into how the two of them were doing outside of work. Conrad and Nic glanced at each other, and both of them felt smiles spreading slowly across their faces. Marshall looked back and forth between them, confused and intrigued as to what those sly little glances meant.

“Dad, Nic and I are moving in together,” Conrad stated as he felt Nic’s hand slide into his.

Nic watched him as he said those words, and she felt her heart skip a beat. Thinking it was one thing, but saying it out loud was another. _Nic and I are moving in together_ , those words and his voice rang clear in her mind, making it seem all the more real.

“That is fantastic news! Congratulations, you two,” Marshall replied, matching the sentiment of pure happiness that Nic and Conrad were exuding. “I hope I’m not interrupting any sort of celebration you were planning on having––” he began.

“No, no,” Nic interjected, “we love it when you visit.” It was now Conrad’s turn to lock his gaze on Nic, watching the way her lips moved as she spoke. She was utterly captivating. She rested her elbow on the table and placed her chin on the heel of her hand, playing with a strand of her golden hair. How badly he wanted to tangle his fingers in those waves. How he loved watching her soft curls bounce as their bodies moved together. He cleared his throat and reached for his glass, taking a slow sip, trying to put a pin in those thoughts so he didn’t grab her and pull her into his lap right then. She looked over at him, noticing that he was swallowing hard and breathing deeply. “Hey, are you alright?” she asked, her voice smooth and sweet like honey as she placed a soft hand on his shoulder, rubbing back to the base of his neck.

He cleared his throat again and met her eyes with his. _If we don’t leave in the next ten minutes, I am going to have to take you right here_ , he communicated to her through the look he was giving her.

_Fuck_ , she thought as she saw a blazing storm in his sweet brown eyes. It was now her that was swallowing hard. She tore her gaze away from his, sliding her hand down his arm to his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “But on that note, as much as we would really love to keep catching up tonight, Conrad and I have an early shift tomorrow, so it would actually be best for us to start heading back. We can schedule in another time, too, maybe a lunch before you go?” she asked, Conrad unable to control his smile. She understood him and could read him so well.

“Absolutely, that sounds wonderful, Nic. Just go ahead and send me some dates that work for you both, and we’ll make something happen,” Marshall replied, completely oblivious to the fact that Conrad and Nic were using all of their willpower to not devour each other, and it was nearing a breaking point. Realistically, they could have stayed another hour or so—they did have work tomorrow, but no earlier than normal—but they _needed_ to get back, and fast.

They paid, thanked their waitress, and started back out to the car. Conrad offered to drive back, and Nic was thankful because her hands were trembling, and her legs felt weak. Walking to the car without collapsing was a miracle. She couldn’t get the look in his eyes right before they left out of her head.

Conrad started the car, and he switched on the radio, hoping something would distract him from having his eyes wander to Nic, sitting so close to him but unable to touch. At first, the music worked in his favor, but the next song was one that Nic knew, and as she started to hum and quietly sing the lyrics under her breath, he almost had to pull over. He would catch her humming to herself as she was cleaning her house, typing up patient notes at Chastain, in the shower, and almost any time she thought she was alone. She had a beautiful voice, and when she was in her own little world, singing softly, swaying her hips to the music in her head, Conrad wished he could freeze time. He felt as though he fell in love with her all over again, completely unable to imagine anything better than what he was seeing, hearing, and feeling, watching her. A rush of those overpowering feelings washed over him as Nic started to sing, looking out the window at the city lights in the clear night. Thankfully, there was not much traffic, so they arrived back at Conrad’s apartment quickly, but to him, it felt like an eternity. And he simultaneously wanted it to end so he could tell her and show her how much he needed her, and he wanted it to last forever, watching and listening to his angelic Nic.

He parked her car across the street from his apartment, and he let the song they were listening to play out the last few seconds until the end before turning off the car. Nic’s eyes flicked up to meet his, and she smiled. He held her gaze, drawing in a slow, deep breath as she let her eyes drop to his chest, then lower, and she bit her lip. _Fuck, Nic_ , he thought.

Her eyes met his again, and she let her lip slide out from between her teeth, leaving her lips slightly parted.

_I just want to…_ she thought.

_I know. Me, too_ , he thought.

Marshall cleared his throat from the back seat of the car. “Thank you for dinner and the ride. My driver just got here, so I am going to head out. Conrad, I’ll be in touch about lunch. And I’m so happy about you moving in together. You’re going to have to show me your place next time I’m back in town!” he stated as he opened the back door.

“Thanks, dad,” Conrad began, turning his head to meet his father’s eyes. Conrad stepped out of the car, followed by Nic, and they both bid Marshall a proper farewell. As his car disappeared around the corner, Nic and Conrad returned to looking at one another.

“Come here, you,” Conrad breathed as his hands gripped her hips and her arms snaked around his neck, her fingers sliding up into his hair. She giggled softly before his lips crashed onto hers. She couldn’t help but let out a quiet moan as his warm lips finally met hers. She kissed him back, taking his bottom lip between hers. She didn’t care that they were outside in the middle of the street, but she couldn’t exactly do what she wanted to out there. As she pulled away reluctantly, she held his lip between her teeth for a moment.

“Inside,” she whispered as she released his lip. His eyes widened as he smiled and slid his hands up her back. She shivered at his touch and a breath left her lungs. He dragged his hands down her arms and interlaced his fingers with hers.

“After you,” he replied, his voice low and raspy, and his eyes yearning.

She pulled him across the street and into his apartment building. As they started up the stairs, they almost ran into someone who was coming down. They were rushing, Nic taking two steps at a time, so it’s no wonder they almost crashed into someone else.

“Hey, watch it–– oh, it’s you,” the woman from earlier that morning, Mrs. Jensen, stated, rolling her eyes.

“Sorry Mrs. Jensen,” Conrad replied, reminiscent of the interaction earlier that morning. He was breathless, his eyes drifting back to Nic.

Mrs. Jensen laughed, knowing what was about to happen, and she dropped her head down before looking back up at the two of them. “At least you’re inside this time,” she said as she started down the stairs again.

Nic and Conrad exchanged giggles, but they quickly resumed their quest, bounding up the rest of the stairs and through the hallway to Conrad’s apartment. He pressed Nic against the wall beside his door and trailed kisses down from the corner of her mouth down to her neck, and she whimpered. He let his lips ghost over her skin, whispering “don’t make a sound, my neighbor gets grumpy if his sleep is interrupted.”

“Conrad…” she breathed, “you’re a piece of work.” She brought both of her hands up to his face and combed her nails against his scalp, grabbing and tugging at his short brown hair along the way. He breathed onto her neck, knowing very well that she was just as capable of making him come undone as he was able to make her. His hands slid down the sides of her body slowly, making her tug his hair a little harder, and he smiled at her comment, pulling his lips off her skin briefly.

She took this opportunity to switch their positions, pressing him against the wall and dragging her fingertips down his chest, circling the buttons down his shirt. She was breathing deeply, but she was completely sure and certain of each of her movements, not shaky or hesitant. Her confident fingers continued their path down his chest down to his lower torso, one hand sliding across to his back while the other plunged down into his front pocket, grabbing his keys. She kissed him hard, making his knees wobbly and causing him to moan quietly. She pulled away and placed a finger over his lips, bringing her face to the side of his and whispering, “don’t make a sound, your neighbor apparently gets grumpy if his sleep is interrupted.” Her warm breath on his cheek followed by the lingering kiss she left there nearly did him in. She stepped back momentarily, admiring her work––he was breathing hard, his eyes were dark, his head was tilted back, his lips were parted, his erection was straining against his jeans––and she moved to unlock his apartment door.

Before she even had a chance to fully open the door, Conrad grabbed her, lifting her feet off the ground, and she giggled as she wrapped her legs around his waist and kicked off her shoes. He pushed the door closed with his heel as he walked them inside, whispering “God, do you understand what you do to me?” He unzipped the back of her dress as she peppered kisses around his face, and he walked her to his bed. She dropped the keys to the floor, not caring where they went. Her only focus was him. He set her down so she was standing with the backs of her legs against his mattress, and his hands traced her curves until he reached the bottom of her short dress. He grabbed it, looking her in the eyes as he down her body. She was wearing a simple red lace strapless bra with matching little panties, and Conrad scanned her whole body before meeting her eyes again.

“Damn, Nic, do you even know how fucking gorgeous you are?” he asked, his voice low and deep as he stepped towards her.

“Remind me,” she whispered, her hands settling on his chest before his lips captured hers.

“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever known. On top of that, you are brilliant, kind, and so incredible in every single goddamn way,” he replied between kisses, his hands holding her close as her skilled fingers began unbuttoning his shirt. “Everything about you is simply amazing. When you speak, it’s the most important thing I hear all day. When you look at me, your eyes are suddenly the only thing I can see. And God, when you touch me…” he added, his hands running slowly up and down her back.

All the air was pulled out of her. She was left breathless. She halted her work on his buttons. His words froze her. She closed her eyes as his lips gently pressed to her forehead. “God, I’m so lucky,” she said, using the same words Conrad had earlier that morning, as she coaxed air back into her lungs by drawing in a deep breath. She finally restarted her task on his shirt and undid his last button, then she pushed his shirt down off his shoulders. He shrugged out of it the rest of the way before he turned around and sat down on the bed, pulling Nic onto his lap so she was sitting on one of his legs.

“Yes, you are,” he replied, a cocky grin on his face as he kicked off his shoes, too. She rolled her eyes and slid herself her all the way up his leg so her body was fully in contact with his. She was holding his head with one hand as she placed the other on his chest, slowly guiding him down to lay flat. She hummed as she pressed her lips to his neck, feeling the friction and pressure of his leg against her core, and she couldn’t help but gently roll her hips into him and moan.

Conrad brushed a hand through her hair as he brought her face to his. With his other hand, he reached around to her back and unclasped her bra. Everything about the way they moved together was familiar, almost second nature. There were no unnecessary nerves––they were completely comfortable and present with one another. Now, this is not to say that they were boring or predictable––they were quite the opposite, in fact. It just felt _right_. Them together, bodies radiating heat, breathing in sync, intoxicating one another, loving as one. _Whole_. That is the only possible way to describe their relationship. They’d been through it. And they will have many more challenges ahead, but they were _it_. They had what people spend a lifetime looking for. They were soulmates, meant-to-be, star-crossed lovers. And they were beginning their future together, _home._ A dozen of these thoughts whirled through their minds as Conrad slipped the red fabric off Nic’s chest.

Nic shifted slightly to the side so she could have better access to Conrad’s belt, and she let the weight of her body rest on his as she kissed him, sliding the tip of her tongue across his upper lip, silently asking for permission. Conrad responded by wrapping his arms around her, one hand holding her neck as the other traced the outline of her chest. He pushed his leg against her, between her legs, and she momentarily stopped moving, moaning loudly, louder than she thought she was going to.

“God, Nic,” Conrad whispered, both of his hands sliding down to her hips. He pressed her into him, making her toss her head back and close her eyes. The friction against her clit was driving her absolutely crazy. Her lips parted as another breath was forced from her lungs. At last, she pulled his belt from his jeans, unbuttoned them, and slid the zipper down. She slipped her hand underneath his boxers, feeling his length and hardness, and he removed his hands from her. His eyes shut and he groaned at her soft touch. He grabbed the waist of his jeans and boxers and pulled them both off below his hips, kicking them off the rest of the way.

She pulled off her panties, too, as she sat up. Conrad followed, not wanting to prolong the separation of their bodies, and placed his hands on her chest. She was still sitting over one of his legs, and she grabbed the back of his head as she felt him again, wrapping her hand around his dick and stroking him slowly. He buried his face in her neck as he groaned loudly. The vibrations from his voice on her neck reverberated through her, and she loved that she had such an effect on him. She found precum at his tip, and she rubbed it across his length, ensuring he was slick and hard. One of his hands meandered between her legs as the other continued massaging her breast, and Nic felt a jolt of pleasure at his touch. He cupped his hand under her, and she arched her hips into him, wanting his fingers to slip into her.

“Conrad, please…” she whimpered, rocking back and forth against his hand. His thumb was circling her clit, but he left his fingers out of her. She kept her hand around his dick, but she stopped stroking. She was unable to manage the pleasure she was feeling and function at the same time. She was surprised, though, when Conrad removed his hand and pulled her squarely over him. Within a couple of seconds, Conrad had flipped them over so Nic was laying flat on the bed and he was hovering over her.

“I’ve been waiting all day for this,” he growled, his eyes locked on hers as he grabbed both of her hands and interlaced her fingers with his.

“Me, too,” she replied, her breathing strained in anticipation.

He consumed her lips with his as he pushed himself fully into her all at once. They both gasped, then there was a long silence as they both were finally where they so desperately needed to be all day. He pressed his forehead to hers as he slowly started moving in and out of her. They finally started breathing again, heaving their chests with Conrad’s tempo but unable to adequately fill their lungs. He started off painfully slow. He wasn’t fucking her. He was making love to her. Slow, sweet, hot love. He was enjoying every second they were together, making damn well sure she knew how much he loved her. Nic watched him, his body shiny with a thin layer of sweat, his hair wild, his muscles tensing. She bent her knees up, feeling her toes curling, and her arms strained against Conrad’s grip on her.

“Conrad…” she moaned.

“I know…” he replied, feeling her getting close.

“Please…” she whimpered, pressing her head back into the sheets as she arched into him. He pulled almost completely out of her before his next thrust, capturing her breast in his mouth and rolling her nipple with his tongue. “Oh God… Conrad…” she moaned as her entire body tensed.

He kissed up her chest to her neck, maintaining his intense rhythm. She dug her nails into the backs of his hands, feeling an immense pressure building up inside of her. “Nic…” he moaned. “I fucking love you…” he added, his lips grazing her cheek. One of his hands wandered to the space between them, and he rubbed and pressed his thumb to her clit, making her breathing heavy and quick and her eyes flutter closed.

“Nic… look at me,” he whispered.

She forced her eyes open, and she was gasping for breath.

“I love you,” he said again, reaching deep into her eyes with his. He pulled out of her almost all the way again, then he slammed into her.

Nic swore she saw stars, and she cried out in a fit of incomprehensible moans, repetitions of his name, and a medley of expletives. She came hard, her back arching off the bed and her entire body squeezing Conrad’s. All she could feel was him: on top of her, around her, inside her. She gasped and sucked in massive quantities of air, but she still felt like she couldn’t get enough air. Conrad groaned next, not even two seconds later, and suddenly, he was cumming, too. He huffed and felt his arms shake. His mind went completely blank, and he could no longer move. His teeth grazed against the soft skin of her neck as he released into her. There was a stark silence that was almost deafening when he filled her. They had made love countless times, but tonight felt different. Tonight felt like movement towards their future. They sighed together, breaking the silence and finally feeling the release they needed all day.

Conrad let the weight of his body lean into Nic, and he released her other hand. Immediately, she caressed his face with her hands, soft fingers tracing his features, and she combed through his hair. She needed to touch him. She needed to feel his skin on her hands. His arm slid around her back and he rolled them over so she was resting on top of him. As they both breathed, coming back down to earth, she flashed her smile at him, her chocolate eyes sparkling. She was still gently brushing through his hair with her fingers, and she brought her face down to his, kissing him softly. His hands slid up her back, and she sighed, pulling away gently. “I love you, too,” she whispered, breathless as his hands found her face.

He looked back at her, a slow smile spreading across his face. She swung one of her legs over to meet her other one so she was no longer straddling him, and she snuggled into his side. He placed a soft lingering kiss on her forehead, and she closed her eyes. He traced little circles on her back with his fingers until her breathing slowed and she fell asleep. He let his eyes wander over her body, watching her chest rise and fall with each breath, and he couldn’t help but place featherlight kisses all over her face. “I love you so much,” he whispered, almost inaudibly. He pulled his sheets over them, and he was lulled to sleep by her breath.


	3. Chickens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dash of NSFW... at work :P
> 
> And, chickens! Something about CoNic and their chickens just makes me smile.

“Hey, I have a surprise for you,” Nic whispered as she passed Conrad in the halls of Chastain the following day.

“Mm, I’m listening,” he replied as she stepped behind the desk at the nurse’s station. He followed her, watching her file away some paperwork as her eyes lifted to meet his.

“Well, if I told you, then it wouldn’t be a surprise, now would it?” she teased.

He chuckled, grabbing the rest of the stack of papers from her and placing them down on the desk. Raising his eyebrow at her, he stepped closer.

“Meet me in the lounge whenever you’re done with your last patient,” she began, bringing their bodies together as she grabbed the stack of papers again and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “But don’t be later than 5:15,” she added as she stepped around him and started down the hall again.

He exhaled deeply, watching her walk, captivated by the way her hips swayed as little golden pieces of her hair that fell out of her loose bun bounced. They both threw themselves into their work, diligently managing their patients, walking quickly between rooms, focusing on delivering the best care, and taking the time to ensure compassionate communication to patients and their families. Before they even realized it, 5:00 rolled around, and they were handing off their patients to the night shift crew. Thankfully, today was an early end day—they typically stayed until 6:00 or 7:00 or even later—and the patients in the ICU were almost all stable without much fluctuation or necessary emergency intervention.

As Nic gathered her things from her locker in the lounge, Conrad stepped inside. “Wow, five minutes early,” she began, “who are you and what have you done with my Conrad?” she teased.

“Easy now,” he replied, matching her sentiment and willing his entire being to compose himself as she said _my Conrad_. “You’re not even changed yet.”

“I was just about to,” she began. “I just didn’t expect you to actually show up on time, let alone _early_.”

“Well in that case…” he started, his voice trailing as he stepped close to her. “Let me help you,” he whispered.

“Conrad… we’re at work…” she whispered back.

“It’s not like we haven’t hooked up at work,” he chuckled. “The shower, the supply closet, the empty on-call room, the shower, Bell’s office, the shower again…” he listed as her cheeks reddened.

“Okay okay, stop,” she giggled. “Get your ass in here right now,” she added as she dragged him into the bathroom with her. Luckily, it was a single-stall gender-neutral bathroom, but honestly, they probably wouldn’t care what it was. He pulled out the little table that was against the wall, and they threw their clothes down on top of it.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him to her as he locked the door. His lips found hers as she moved her hands up and down his back. He slipped his hands under her scrub top, and she lifted her arms up as he pulled her top up and over her head. She pushed his top up, and he grabbed it, pulling his arms out one by one, then he tossed it on top of hers, on the empty half of the table their clothes were on. She moaned quietly, making him smile before he pressed his lips to hers a little harder. She pushed him to the wall, and her hands traced his flanks down to the waist of his jeans, her fingers hooking through his beltloops, pulling herself closer to him. They felt like a teenage couple, young and in love, unable to keep their hands off of each other, not caring that they were at work, just getting lost in each other’s touch. Their actions were sweet, not brazen, and with each touch and kiss, they only felt love pouring out from both of their souls.

“Better than changing by yourself?” he asked, his voice low and gravely after her lips left his briefly.

“Don’t pretend even for a second that you’re not enjoying this as much as you think I am,” she replied, grabbing his black t-shirt from the table and throwing it over his head.

He chuckled as he put his arms through his sleeves and pulled his shirt down. Nic grabbed her light blue button-down shirt from the table and slipped her arms through.

“Allow me,” Conrad whispered when her fingers went to the buttons of her shirt.

Nic blushed, moving her hands from her shirt up to his face, sliding up and down his jawline and into his hair. He worked the buttons slowly, Nic watching him intently, and as he reached the top, she pulled him in one last time and kissed him hard, making him lean against the wall. She removed her lips from his, and his hands slid down her arms as they both stared deeply into each other.

“And you were right. This was much better than changing alone,” she whispered as she she pulled herself off of him and slid her scrub bottoms down.

“Oh, I’m not done with you yet,” he growled as he knelt down onto the floor in front of her.

“Oh shit,” she whispered as he lifted one of her legs around his shoulder. “Conrad…” she whimpered, but it came out thick with desire as his fingers traced the outline of her panties.

“You said we’re early for this surprise? Give me five minutes with you like this,” he replied, his breath hot against her thigh as his lips brushed lightly along her soft, cream skin. She felt her legs tremble a little, and she reached out for the wall in front of her to stabilize herself.

“Oh fuck,” she whispered, visibly shuddering in anticipation. His lips were everywhere but where she wanted them as he made his way across both of her inner thighs. “Conrad…” she sighed through labored breathing, her hand reaching down to fist his hair. She swore she could feel him smile against her legs. _What a tease_ , she thought to herself, but before she could open her mouth to make a sassy remark, he pulled her underwear to the side and slid his tongue fully across her core from her entrance to her clit. She nearly forgot where she was as she tossed her head back and let out a loud breath.

“Damn, Nic,” he growled, sending vibrations throughout her entire body. She held his head in place as she tugged a little harder on his hair. One of his hands slid to her ass, bringing her even closer to him as he kissed and sucked her folds back up to her clit. Damn, that man was good with his tongue.

“Oh God… Conrad…” she breathed, tilting her head down and watching him. He lifted his gaze to meet hers briefly before he smirked and returned to sucking, harder this time. She leaned her head forward so it was resting on her forearm that was against the wall in front of her. “Oh… shit…” she shuddered as he thrust his tongue into her, curling it up and making her lift her heels so she was standing on her toes. He could feel how close she was, so he moved the hand that was holding her ass to her clit and rubbed tight circles around her bundle of nerves until she was panting and crying out soft whimpers into the crook of her elbow, trying to muffle herself because they were still at work after all. He brought her down slowly, licking lazy circles around her folds before moving her leg back down off his shoulder and sliding her underwear back up to her hips.

He stood, sliding himself into her embrace as she looked at him with her eyes sparkling. Her face was flushed, and she was still breathing heavy when she pressed her lips to his once more, tasting herself on his lips and smiling as she pulled away. “Conrad… you are incredible,” she whispered as she dragged her nose down the side of his face. “I love you,” she added, meeting his gaze.

“I love you, too, Nic,” he replied with his signature smile. “Hey, it looks like we can add ‘staff lounge bathroom’ to the places in Chastain where we’ve––” he began.

“Alright, let’s go before we end up late to this surprise,” she interrupted. “If you keep talking about the places we’ve had sex…” she started, trailing off. “We’ll have plenty of time for that later,” she added, her voice low and sexy as she looked up at him through her eyelashes.

“You’re such a tease,” he replied, kissing her forehead before she wiggled out of his embrace.

“Oh, and you’re not? Mr. ‘ _let me help you change_ ,’” she remarked, raising her fingers in quotations around her words before she grabbed her jeans from the table and stepped into them.

He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face, and once she buttoned up her jeans, she reached for the door. She opened it, and immediately she froze.

“Hey Nic! Heading out?” Mina asked. “Oh––” she added, noticing Conrad as he moved to see why Nic had suddenly stopped.

“H-hey, Mina,” Nic replied, blushing.

“Yup, we were just heading out, and we’re going to be late, so sorry for rushing out–– we’ll see you tomorrow!” Conrad stated hurriedly as he pushed Nic out the door, holding her hand. Mina shook her head, chuckling under her breath as he grabbed both Nic’s and his bags and sped out of the lounge, down the halls, and finally out of the hospital.

“Well, that was awkward,” Conrad stated as they arrived at Nic’s car.

“You can say that again,” she replied, giggling and still blushing.

“Well, that was awkward,” he repeated, raising his eyebrow and tilting his head to the side, watching her closely.

“Do you want to see this surprise or not?” she remarked, teasing him.

“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about what crazy amazing thing you’re going to pull this time,” he replied, his arm sliding across her waist, pulling her close.

_Oh, Conrad, you have no idea,_ she thought. “When you get in the car, close your eyes,” she said, turning her head so she looked directly at him. She knew his touch completely melted her, but she had a task to complete. And she was not going to get distracted. No matter how irresistible he was. She watched his face scrunch up in confusion, and she giggled. He was _adorable._ And she loved him so much. She couldn’t wait to see what his reaction was going to be when they set foot in their new _home._ “What, do you not trust me?” she teased.

“Obviously I trust you, Nic. But what on earth are you up to?” he replied, allowing the confusion to turn into joy and curiosity.

“Want to find out?” she asked, and he nodded eagerly. “Then get your ass into the car and close your eyes,” she giggled, opening the passenger-side door for him.

He laughed, kissing her quickly on the forehead. “You’re ridiculous,” he said through his chuckles as he stepped into the car. She walked around to the driver’s side and got in, checking her watch subtly. _5:25,_ she thought, _perfect timing_.

“No peeking,” she said, leaning over to place a soft kiss on the side of his face as she dragged her hand over his eyes.

He laughed again, keeping his eyes closed, and she started to drive. The house was just a short drive from Chastain, and before they knew it, they were there.

“Keep them closed,” Nic said, Conrad able to hear the smile in her voice, as she parked the car and got out. She opened the passenger-side door, and helped him out, ensuring he didn’t take a wild spill as he stepped down onto the sidewalk.

“Nic where are we?” he asked as she placed her hand over his eyes.

“Patience, now. We’re only about ten steps away,” she replied, squeezing his arm as reassurance. “Okay,” she began, opening the front door, silently thanking Martha again for all this being possible. “Open on three.”

This all felt very familiar to Conrad: the hand over the eyes, the counting, the secrecy. It reminded him of the time he showed Nic the house— _wait. Nic planned all of this. Martha calling yesterday was no accident. Holy shit. No way_ , he thought, _no way this is what I—_

_“One…” she began._

_Holy shit, he thought._

_“Two…”_

_Nic! he nearly screamed._

_“Three!” she exclaimed as she removed her hand from his face, letting him finally see where they were._

_He took it in. “Wha?!” he began, stretching his arms out to the sides, his mouth agape. It was the same place he showed her. This was their home. “How did you get this place?!” he whispered-exclaimed as he enveloped her in a tight hug._

_“Dumb luck or karma, it just came back on the market,” she replied, unable to conceal the light giggle in her voice. Her smile was permanently glued on her face, and as she watched Conrad completely melt at her gesture, she nearly cried._

_He took a few steps around, unable to comprehend that this was real. “Whatever it is, I’m so happy we’re here now,” he stated, walking back to her, bringing her back into his arms. They sighed together, feeling at home._

_“When you brought me here the first time, I just had so much going on—” she began, her eyes closed, allowing herself to be consumed by his love and embrace._

_“And you still do,” he began, now thinking more rationally and cautiously, “and we will get through it all together. Are you sure this is the right time to make this move?” he asked, holding her face and conveying the seriousness and genuine care and concern in his sweet brown eyes._

_“I have never been so sure,” she replied confidently._

_His eyes softened, and he brought her face to his, kissing her sweetly as they both emotionally processed their new huge decision._

_“I love you,” he whispered._

_“I love you, too,” she replied._

_“And I love this house,” he said, laughing and tossing his arms up, looking around and seeing their future unfolding before his eyes. It looked bright. And this was certainly home._

_“Well…” Nic began, interrupting his thoughts, “get ready to love it ever more,” she added, grabbing his hand and leading him to the deck out back._

_What on earth could she possibly have that is better than this? he thought to himself._

_“Ta-daa!” she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air as she gestured to a small wire and wood enclosure housing seven sweet chickens._

_“Oh— oh my God!” he started, stumbling over his words._

_“We have chickens!” Nic added, smiling ten miles wide._

_He couldn’t possibly say anything. He laughed and pulled her into him again, unable to believe what was happening. “Wow!” he exclaimed happily, looking down at the chickens. Am I dreaming? he thought. But this was so much better than any dream he could have possibly had._

“Do you like it?” Nic asked, slightly nervous.

Conrad’s eyes flicked up to meet hers. “Nic… this is _perfect_. You are perfect. I can’t believe this. How did I get so lucky?” he replied, interlacing his fingers around her waist.

“I love you, and I am so ready for this next step with you,” she whispered, her breath warm on his cheek.

He was overwhelmed. Never had he felt this kind of way. He just wanted to hold her tight and never let go. He wanted to drown in her scent and touch, and he wanted to freeze time. He slid his hands up to cup her face, holding her like she was the most precious thing on earth, and he pulled her soft lips to his. She couldn’t contain her smile, and suddenly, he couldn’t either. They found themselves pulled away and simply looking at each other. “How did I get so lucky?” he said again, his eyes soft and sweet with excitement and love. So much love.

“We both are,” she replied, bringing his lips back to hers. For a moment, all that existed in that space was the two of them and this new feeling. They loved each other––they knew that––but this felt different. This almost felt like… _forever_.


	4. Goodtimes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> M-rated for sure... but also I can't help but write them softly, too. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

“Are we keeping this?” Nic shouted across Conrad’s living room in his apartment. He turned around from where he was in his kitchen, looking to where Nic was.

“What am I looking at? Wait, where even are you?” he asked, chuckling, scanning his apartment which had become an explosion of boxes, piles, and just _stuff_ everywhere.

“Here,” she replied, peering over boxes she had stacked up, giggling. She held out a sweatshirt that looked incredibly small, even too small for her.

“Oh my God,” he laughed. “I can’t believe I actually still had that somewhere in this apartment. When I first moved here, the whole ‘hot water’ thing was super serious, and I didn’t realize how warm the ‘warm’ setting was until I washed that sweatshirt and it shrunk down to half its original size,” he added as he walked towards Nic.

She was uncontrollably laughing as visions flooded her mind of Conrad first moving into this apartment, probably with half as much stuff as he had now, stressed, tired, but excited, then he pulled _this_ out of the washing machine. She could totally picture his reaction. Nic knew the way his eyebrows rose at the corners when he was trying to hold back a laugh, and she could imagine that all over his face, while his shoulders probably drooped out of disappointment and frustration at his mistake.

“That’s not even the worst of them…” he added, wiping a tear away from his cheek, which escaped because he was laughing to the point where he almost couldn’t breathe.

Nic snuck around from behind the boxes, wiping his tears with her soft thumbs. “There’s more than one of these?” she asked, her eyebrows raising.

“You have no idea…” he replied, shaking his head at the memory. “I did a whole load…”

“Oh my God,” she whispered, putting her hand up to her mouth, attempting to stifle her giggle but failing miserably. She dropped her head down, leaning it against his chest, and his hands slid up her back.

His laughter slowly faded, and he sighed heavily. “This place sure has lots of memories,” he said, looking around his apartment.

She lifted her head up, reaching her hand up to the side of his face, noting the slight distance she saw in his eyes. “Hey, are you alright?” she asked softly.

The distance and uncertainty turned to hope and love as his eyes met hers, and he smiled sweetly at her. “This was my first place in Atlanta––the only place I’ve lived after coming back from my deployment in Afghanistan. This was the place where I really started to build my life,” he began, looking around again. He settled his gaze back on her, noticing her eyes were wet with emotion. “But this was always shelter, a place I lived, a house. But not a home. I never really knew what _home_ was. That is, until I met you. My heart was at home when I was with you, and standing in the house we are going to share for the first time, I finally understood what a real home feels like. Nic, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. And we’ve been through so much. We have so many memories here, the two of us. But I am so ready to start making new memories with you in our new home. So ready,” he said, his voice wavering.

Nic began to cry, finally letting her tears fall from her eyes when he told her that she was his home. “Conrad…” she began as he wiped her tears from her cheeks. She closed her eyes and smiled, pulling him into an embrace. “My heart is home with you, too. And I am so ready to make new memories in our new home. I’m ready to take that step. I’ve never wanted anything more than I want this with you. I love you, Conrad. You are my family, my best friend, my everything,” she whispered, her tears soaking through his shirt. She remembered so many of her firsts with Conrad in this apartment: the first time they cooked together, their first movie marathon, their first clumsy time as lovers, so many firsts. But in their new house, they will have _forevers_. Firsts, too, yes, but they both knew deep down that this was indeed the first step to forever. Even if neither had said it yet.

He felt one of his own tears slide down his cheek and land on her shoulder, and they both sighed. He pulled her in tighter, feeling her melt into his embrace. “I love you, too,” he whispered, and they released each other from their arms. “Hey, no more tears, okay?” he added, swiping his fingers across her face, catching the last few tears that spilled from her eyes. “I know how much this mess is probably driving you crazy, so let’s start organizing some things before we take anything else apart. I don’t think I have any more floor space,” he said as he chuckled, gesturing around the room. He had a way of brightening any emotional situation, and Nic admired that quality in him. Even when she was going through so much, he was always there as her shoulder to cry on but also to make her smile. He made her laugh when she thought she would never be able to. She really couldn’t live without him. She really fucking loved him.

She nodded, taking one last deep breath, squeezing his hand in hers. “You know what all this organizing is going to need, though?” she asked, a smile spreading across her face.

“Hm?” he asked, brushing his fingers through her hair.

“A good playlist!” she exclaimed, pulling out her phone from her back pocket and scrolling through her music, looking for exactly the right mood.

“Ooh! I have just the thing,” she said as she started playing “Goodtimes Living & Loving” by The Mighty Hannibal, one of her and Conrad’s favorite songs from a local band they loved. The Mighty Hannibal held a special place in both of their hearts, because “We’re Gonna Make It,” another song by that band, was _their_ song. One day after Conrad claimed that song as theirs at the bar, Nic found one of the band’s records in the window of an old local vinyl store, and she couldn’t help but buy it. She held onto it for almost two years, not able to really find the right time to give it to him. But it recently, finally, felt right. When she finally knew that he was her _forever_. She gave it to him a couple of days before she told him about moving in together, and she didn’t think she had ever seen anybody so excited and in love and emotional all at once. When he pulled his little record player from underneath his bed and placed the record in, the sweet sounds of that same song filled the room. Not only was the song on the record––it was the _first song_. He was stunned, stumbling over his words as he tried to ask her if this was in fact their song. She nodded and said it was, and he could not contain himself. _She remembered_. _Of course, she remembered_. She loved him, and he loved her. They remembered everything about each other. As they packed a few of his important things earlier in the day, she found that record and couldn’t help but smile at the memory.

He threaded his fingers around her waist again as the intro played, immediately recognizing the song, “Goodtimes Living & Loving.” She felt a soft breath escape her as he grabbed her and swung her around to an emptier space in his apartment, one not completely covered in boxes and random items. She was drawn back to the present, and so was he, and they were fully attentive of each other. The old jeans that hung loose around her waist combined with the cropped black tank top she was wearing left much of her midsection exposed. His warm hands traveled back and forth slowly across her smooth skin, giving her goosebumps, then he placed his hands around her wrists and threw her arms around his neck. She was pulled into him, caught between an innocent chuckle and a lustful breath, and her entire front was now flush against his hard body. He swayed softly to the smooth beat of the music, and the chorus kicked in: _There’s gonna be good times, living and loving. Good times, a little kissing and hugging. You look so good to me right now, yes you do._

The vocals faded as the chorus finished, and Nic leaned her head into his cheek as his hands slid down her arms back down to her waist. She hummed quietly the next lyrics, and he closed his eyes, soothed by her voice. Her arms slid down his, and she interlaced their fingers, her body still pressed to his.

When the few verses before the chorus started, she slipped her body away from his for a moment, pulling him with her as she traced the floor with her bare feet. She had been a dancer, unsurprising to Conrad when she first told him—she had the physique of a dancer, a beautiful one, and the way she led herself and others in her work at the hospital highlighted a kind of strength and diligence that comes from years of studying an art or practice like dance—and he loved when she lapsed back into her dancer mode and just let her body move. She glided effortlessly across the floor, Conrad following, smiles locked on both of their faces. Pieces of her hair swung loose from the ponytail she had it in, little golden strands brushing against her face and shoulders as well as onto him when he was close enough. She brought him close, pressing her forehead against his, both closing their eyes as she sang the chorus quietly: _There’s gonna be good times, living and loving. Good times, a little kissing and hugging. You look so good to me right now, yes you do._

He lifted his face from hers and studied her. He was completely mesmerized by every single thing about her. She looked back at him, matching his intensity. “You look so good to me right now,” he repeated, a playful smirk spreading slowly across his face.

“Mm, how about a little kissing and hugging?” she replied, playing with the neckline of his dark green t-shirt.

His eyes drifted to her lips, and before he could meet her eyes again, she slid her hands into his hair and guided his face to hers. She caught his lips in a passionate kiss as her nails scraped gently along his scalp, and he tightened his grip around her waist, pressing her into him. “You have… the most… beautiful voice… Nicolette Nevin…” he whispered as he trailed kisses down from her lips to the space between her neck and shoulder. She tilted her head back as he moved down her neck, and she let a soft breath leave her lips. Her cheeks flushed when he brought up her singing, coupled with the fact that he said her full name, each letter that fell from his lips making her heart flutter. “And…” he continued, kissing down her collarbone across to the top of her sternum, “you are… an incredible… dancer. The way… you move… my God…” he added before he brought his face back up to meet hers, taking her bottom lip between his and gently nibbling.

“Mmh, Conrad,” she said, nearly moaning his name. A soft smile flicked across his lips, and he released her bottom lip, looking into her eyes as she slid her hands from his hair down to the sides of his face. “We have to…” she began before letting her gaze wander down his body. His chest was slowly rising and falling with his deep breaths, his toned abs visible against his green t-shirt, his dark jeans hugging him closely.

As he watched her glide her eyes down his body, he found himself using every ounce of control to not just grab her and bend her over the kitchen counter. “We have to what, Nic?” he asked, his voice low and deep, snapping her eyes back up to his.

“We have to finish pack—” she began, stopping herself halfway. “You know what?” she asked, cocking her head to the side. “Fuck it,” she whispered as she grabbed the back of his head and crashed his lips onto hers.

He was taken by surprise at the way she pulled him into her. She stumbled over a box sitting on the floor behind her, holding tight onto Conrad as he grabbed her and lifted her up onto the counter. She wrapped her legs around his waist, drawing him close to her body. He leaned over her, making sure every inch of space between them vanished, as she chuckled softly, but before either of them went any further, Conrad pulled his lips away from hers and looked at her, coaxing her eyes to meet his. The music stopped, leaving both of them in silence as they shared their intense gazes at each other.

“Nic…” he whispered, his body still pressed to hers.

“Conrad…” she replied, her voice breathy and yearning as her hand brushed through his hair.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” he said. “We’re really moving in together.”

“I can believe it,” she replied matter-of-factly. She paused, watching his eyebrows bend in slight confusion. “It’s you. It’s always been you. You are my person. I love you. Always have, _always will_ ,” she added, her voice strong and confident, her heart swelling.

“Nic…” he began, his voice gravely as his heart swelled, too.

“Conrad…” she interrupted, a soft smile spreading across her face as she tightened her legs around him. His breathing quickened, but his eyes never left hers. His hands traveled down her body as she sighed softly. She shuffled her hips slightly, but that slight movement caused Conrad to lean over her further and bury his face in her neck, growling quietly. She could already feel how hard he was, and she grew wetter by the second. “I want you to make love to me,” she whispered as she moved his face to the side of hers.

“God, Nic…” he breathed. “I am going to do much more than that,” he whispered before kissing behind her ear, making her release another breath as she shifted her hips again, this time intentionally rolling them against him. She was at the perfect height where her hips met his, and her action caused him to groan as he pressed his hips into hers. Her hand slid between them to his belt, and she tugged it, loosening it before she pulled it off him. “Hold on,” he chuckled, stopping her, “not yet.”

She whimpered as the contact of his hips against hers vanished, but that sentiment was lost over the feeling of his hands on her body. One of his hands held her close to him as he drew little circles with his fingers around her back, while the other lightly ran up and down her sternum. He slipped his hands slowly under her shirt and under the cups of her bra, making her flutter her eyes closed as she sighed. He moved one hand to her back and unclasped her bra, then he pulled her tank top and bra off in one motion. She was left there completely topless, leaning back on her forearms on his counter, wearing nothing but her jeans. She looked so hot. “Damn, Nic,” he growled, taking a brief step back to admire her. “I didn’t think it was possible for you to look even more beautiful every second, but here you are. Stunning,” he added, stepping back close to her as she bit her bottom lip, swinging her legs slightly. He pulled her hair out from its loose ponytail, tossing the hairtie away as if it were nothing. She had lost so many hairties at his place, and this was certainly another to add to the collection. He only had one focus: Nic.

He glided his hands all across her body, caressing every inch of her skin, and his lips followed, trailing from her lips down her neck, sternum, to her nipples, and finally around her navel. She was beginning to huff her breath at his slow, deliberate, loving movements. She pushed herself back up on her hands, arching her chest out slightly and re-wrapping her legs around him. He kissed his way back up to her neck, sucking and nipping the whole way as his fingers teased her breasts. She was completely lost in his touch. She had limited control over her response to him, and she moaned and whimpered as his hands and lips danced across her skin. Both of his hands slid around to her back, and he pulled her close, finding her lips and kissing her breathless.

There was always an established level of comfort between them. They were able to read each other’s little hints and clues, somehow knowing exactly what the other needed. They also weren’t afraid to tell each other what they needed. Their honesty, their real feelings, and their deep-rooted love made any moment they were together seem like they were the only two people in the room. Time, stressors, pressures, work––it all seemed to fade away when their eyes, lips, and bodies connected. Sometimes, they worked each other up quickly, needing release immediately. Sometimes, they fucked. But sometimes, they took their time. They explored each other, almost as though they were new to each other, but the stark familiarity of their bodies made the connection even stronger. There were moments when they felt the other knew their own body more than they did themselves. They knew just where to touch and kiss each other to drive the other crazy. They knew how to send the other completely over the edge. They knew just what to do to reel the other in. Sex was never just sex between Conrad and Nic. It always meant something. With every touch, kiss, and breath, they felt their souls connecting, intertwining with each other deeper.

He lifted her off the counter, and her hands slid into his hair, pulling and tugging gently as she still worked on catching her breath from his kisses. He walked cautiously around the boxes to his sofa, setting her down gently on her back. She had somehow managed to grab his shirt and pull it off before he climbed on top of her, and he let a heavy sigh escape him when her fingertips grazed his now exposed chest and torso. But he was still on a mission. He kissed her stomach back up to her lips again before his hands wandered down to the waist of her jeans. She moaned in anticipation. He unzipped her jeans and grabbed around the waist, and she lifted her hips, allowing him to slide the loose denim off from her. Her underwear was completely soaked, as they didn’t typically spend this long on foreplay, and she already felt herself nearing her breaking point. She desperately wanted him to give her the satisfaction and release she needed, but he was drawing this out. Every time she pulled him or pushed him to bring her closer to her release, he retreated, focusing his attention on arousing her elsewhere. She had been silently begging, but then she finally spoke.

“Oh God please…” she whimpered, her breath coming out heavy and quick.

“Please, what, Nic?” he teased. He wanted her to say exactly what she wanted. He wanted to give her everything exactly the way she wanted it.

“Conrad…” she began, closing her eyes and whimpering again as one of his hands drifted down to her inner thigh. “Please… I need to come…” she added, opening her eyes and watching Conrad smile and move slowly down so his head was framed by her legs. “Oh God…” she whispered as he kissed from the inside of her knee up to her hip. She was barely able to inhale enough oxygen into her lungs as she felt herself climbing higher and higher. He traced the outline of her underwear with his lips and tongue, and she clenched her fists, whimpering and panting. He hooked his fingers around the waistband of her underwear, and he pulled them off slowly, tossing them aside again, having them land on top of one of the boxes, as he was maintaining his focus on her. She was laying completely naked––cream white skin against his dark couch––and she shifted so she could watch him. He let out a heavy breath when her eyes met his, and he stopped his movements momentarily as he felt his dick twitch. He also wasn’t used to this much foreplay, and they had already been at it for quite a while. His pants were incredibly uncomfortably tight, but his focus was not on him at the moment. It was on her. He broke her eye contact after a few long seconds, bringing his face down onto her, listening to his own heartbeat in his ears as well as both of their breathing.

She closed her eyes as his lips and tongue were almost where she so desperately needed them to be. He traced his tongue across her folds before he met her clit. She moaned and her sound shook through her whole body, sending vibrations into Conrad’s chest. “Oh God… oh fuck…” she panted.

“You taste so good, Nic,” he said, his words sending vibrations of their own into her body. He traced around the outside of her once more before he thrust his tongue into her core. She nearly screamed, the previous anticipation magnifying her pleasure. He moaned as he realized just how wet she was, and he replaced his tongue with his fingers, thrusting and curling them inside of her as his lips moved back to her clit. He sucked her bud as he pressed his fingers in her, and her individual moans suddenly became one continuous stream of incomprehensible sounds of pleasure. She clenched her muscles around his fingers, and he could feel that she was close. He curled in once more and she was gone. She arched her back off the couch cushion as she felt a deafening, blinding, complete sensory-depleting sensation spread throughout her entire body. She had never come so hard before, and honestly, she thought that she would never recover. Conrad removed his lips from her, replacing them with his thumb, and continued slowly curling his fingers inside of her, wanting to prolong her extreme bliss for as long as possible. He lifted his face to watch her. She was gulping in air, her eyes were forced closed, her lips were parted, her chest was heaving, her skin was flushed, and every single muscle in her body was contracted. He let a soft smile spread across his face as she began to come back down to earth from whatever heaven she was in. She opened her eyes but continued breathing hard as Conrad pulled his fingers out of her, and she saw how he was looking at her.

“Oh… my… God… Conrad… wow…” she whispered, her breath interrupting her words. “Come here,” she added, reaching her hands to hold his face and bring him to her. His smile widened as her fingers slipped into his hair and she brought his lips to hers, her salty taste still on his soft lips. Though she still was not yet fully able to get enough air into her lungs, she felt a fire burning inside her stomach. A deep desire––a hunger––for him. “Your turn,” she whispered into his lips. She felt the corners of his mouth turn up as she began resuming what she had started before he hijacked her mission––she unbuttoned his pants and lowered his zipper. “Off,” she ordered, pushing him off her as she sat up. He smirked at her as he stood and pushed his pants down. “All the way off,” she said again with the same authoritative tone in her voice.

“Hasty, aren’t we?” he teased, not yet pulling his boxers off.

“I think we’re just right,” she replied, her voice low as she stood and pressed her body to his. She genuinely had no idea how she was standing right then, her legs still thoroughly trembling. His breathing quickened, and now it was her turn to smile. She traced her hands slowly down from his chest to his abs, dancing her fingertips across his skin, feeling goosebumps erupt from her touch. She grabbed his dick through his boxers, and he inhaled sharply. She slipped her other hand into his boxers and stroked his length, feeling him getting harder as she touched him. He let out another huffed breath, and she brought her face to his, her warm breath tickling his ear as she whispered, “now I think it’s time for these to come off, for you to sit down, and for me to drive.”

He couldn’t have imagined words that would have turned him on more than the ones she just said. “Mm, that sounds _perfect_ ,” he practically growled as she nipped his neck and earlobe, continuing to stroke his length as he moved his hands to pull his boxers down. He did exactly as he was told––removing his garments and falling onto the couch, pulling her with him––and she climbed on top of him. He tried to prop himself up, but her hand pressed down on his chest.

“Ah ah,” she scolded, teasing him. “It’s my turn in charge,” she added, her eyes sparkling with playfulness.

His chest rose and fell quicker as she replaced her hand moving up and down his shaft with her mouth. She tucked her hair behind her ears, and while maintaining eye contact for as long as possible, she slowly pressed her soft lips to his already throbbing member. He closed his eyes and moaned, her softness intoxicating him, making him ache and beg for more. She kissed her way up his length, all the way to the tip, before her lips parted and she took him into her mouth. Her hand wrapped around his shaft, and she moved both in unison, sucking and stroking.

“God… damn… Nic…” he groaned, his breath heavy and his voice deep. He could feel himself start to lose control as his release was beginning. Nic felt how close he was, and she herself was growing wetter as he became more aroused. Once she saw and felt that he almost couldn’t take it any longer, she removed her hand and mouth from his dick, slid herself up his body, and suck down onto him. She was tight and wet, still reeling over her last orgasm, and he was already nearing his edge. They both let their breaths leave their lungs together as Nic rocked back and forth slowly. Conrad’s hands wandered to her hips, and he gripped her tight. When she started this, she didn’t think she was going to come again, but she realized that she was closer than she previously thought. Conrad came hard and fast, squeezing her flesh in his hands as she clamped down on him. His release triggered hers, and before she knew it, she was cumming all over again. Then silence. They both laid there––Nic on top of Conrad––completely breathless, hearts pounding, brains swirling, for what must have been five whole minutes before either spoke.

“Fucking hell, Nic,” Conrad whispered, brushing her hair back, tangling his fingers in her now messy golden waves.

“That was… incredible,” she replied, drawing little circles on his chest with her fingertips. Their eyes met, and they exchanged smiles.

He shuffled under her, and she protested a little, not wanting to move at all, as he chuckled at her dissatisfaction. But his expression shifted to confusion as he heard a knock at his front door. He fully slid out from underneath her as she matched his confused look.

“What the hell?” he asked quietly, looking to Nic.

She stood up next to him, both suddenly very aware that they were completely naked. They were both horrified when Mina burst through the door, realizing it was unlocked, holding a lanyard with a little key. “Hey!” she exclaimed.

Conrad and Nic ducked behind the pile of boxes that was sitting in front of them, keeping their heads above the boxes but covering their still naked bodies.

“Oh shit!” Nic whisper-exclaimed.

“Thanks for letting me feed your chickens today, Nic. I was just coming by to drop off your keys,” Mina began, looking around the messy apartment until she locked eyes with Nic. “God, it looks like a bomb went off in this place. What the hell is going on here? Why are you hiding––” she added before covering her mouth with her hand when she saw the two of them crouched behind a stack of boxes, their eyes wide. “Oh shit, I am so sorry,” she whispered, stunned, embarrassed, and finally realizing what situation she had just walked in on. “Shit.”

“I-it’s okay, Mina. Thanks, you can just leave that right there,” Nic replied, her entire face bright red.

“Will do. And hey next time, just give me a warning when you’re going to be butt-ass naked so _this_ doesn’t happen again. As much as I am loving basking in your stunned faces—and I am loving it, it’s very funny—I almost got a lot more of a show than I bargained for,” Mina replied jokingly, a smirk spreading across her face as she held back a burst of laughter at the ridiculousness of the situation. She watched Conrad and Nic shuffle uncomfortably, and she chuckled as she walked out the door and closed it behind her. “Goodnight crazy kids!” she exclaimed as the door clicked closed.

Conrad and Nic glanced at each other and exchanged looks of utter horror. That expression rapidly changed into a combination of embarrassment and laughter, though.

“Oh my God, Mina just walked in on us. Conrad, we were… and she came inside!” Nic said, giggling nervously.

“What the fuck just happened?” Conrad mustered through his thick laugh.

“I told her she could just drop the key off here when she got off her shift, but I guess because she and I are on the ‘I can just walk into your house’ basis, she did just that,” Nic replied, barely able to make it more than three words in a row without busting out laughing.

“That seems like something you should have brought up, Nic,” he teased. “But God, if she came in even five minutes earlier…” he began as he watched terror flash across Nic’s eyes.

“No,” she whispered, covering her mouth with her hands. “That would have been— oh my God,” she added, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

“Thank goodness for this mess to cover things up though,” he chuckled, gesturing to all the boxes around his apartment.

“God, we got so fucking lucky! That could have been so bad…” she added, her hands nervously combing through her hair. She paused briefly before speaking again, “not going to lie, sitting here thinking about what just happened, almost getting caught, and the fact that we’re _still_ both completely naked… is a little hot.”

“Ohh, round two already, hm?” he teased, standing up and pulling her up to meet him.

“Lock the goddamn door first, then we’ll talk,” she replied, biting back a laugh.

He nodded and dashed over to the door, ensuring it was actually locked, and within a few seconds, he had pinned her to his bed, both of her wrists above her head, held by his strong hand, while he explored her body with his lips and fingers again. It didn’t take long for them to slip back into their little world of pleasure and each other, completely ignoring the absurd amount of packing that was left to do. Their moans and sighs filled the room late into the night until they finally collapsed out of exhaustion together in a heap of sweaty, breathless bodies and tangled arms and legs.


	5. Utilities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More fluff and smut, because what else is there to write in quarantine?

“Wow, this is really coming together,” Nic said excitedly as they brought the last box into their new house from her car.

“It really is,” Conrad replied, setting the box down on the counter and looking around the room.

It had taken them just under a week to get everything together and moved from their individual places to their shared home. They both used a few vacation days to dedicate specifically to this endeavor, and there was nothing they’d rather do. They spent hours at a time packing, unpacking, making lists and piles, and driving back and forth, driving each other a little crazy but reeling each other in when they noticed it was about to go south.

“I can’t believe it was just two weeks ago that we were at my apartment and you told me that you wanted this,” he said, interrupting Nic’s wandering thoughts. “It felt so surreal, and now it feels _real_.”

“I didn’t think it was possible to be this happy, but damnit Conrad, you sure do have a way of making everything so much better than anyone could possibly deserve,” she replied.

“Are you kidding? You make me the happiest person alive. And you deserve the whole fucking world, Nic. And _this_? God… it’s—”

“ _Perfect_ ,” she interrupted, smiling wide at him as she opened the box he had set on the counter.

“Exactly,” he replied, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead.

“You know…” she began, her voice dropping. “Now that we’re officially all moved in, there are a few things we need to test out.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?” he replied, matching her tone, knowing exactly where this was going.

“Well, I know we had a full inspection of the utilities, but I just thought it would be a good idea to make sure things are to our liking,” she began, but she was met with Conrad’s confused gaze. “I was thinking we could start with the shower. You know, to double check,” she finished, her eyes sparkling as she watched his expression change from confusion to lust.

“Right, double check. Make sure things are to our liking,” he repeated her words, a smile growing on his face.

She giggled at him briefly, then placed her hands on her hips as she cocked her head to the side. “Well, what are we waiting for, then?” she remarked, grabbing his hand with hers and pulling him up the stairs. Once they made it into their bedroom, with boxes still needing to be unpacked but things starting to fall into place, they got lost in each other, hands tracing over the outlines of each other, tongues dancing in each other’s mouths, their breaths intertwining.

Nic slid her hands under Conrad’s t-shirt and raked her fingers down his abs and around to his back, making him shiver. He responded by pulling her closer and pressing his lips to hers with more hunger and passion than before. She was dizzy, feeling drunk off of his kiss and touch, as he continued to kiss her breathless. They separated momentarily as they both worked on catching their breath, foreheads pressed together, Nic’s hands still moving slightly under the fabric of his shirt as his stilled on her hips. He lifted his head off hers and she pushed his shirt up as he helped to take it off. Her gaze wandered down his body, something she did that drove him absolutely crazy, and she bit her lip. Sure, she had seen him naked countless times, but she would never get tired of the sight. “Mmm,” she sighed as her hands ran down from his shoulders down his chest and abdomen, eventually hooking her fingers into his beltloops and pulling him close.

He crashed his lips onto hers as he sighed into her, pressing his aching arousal to her thigh. “Why the hell are we still dressed?” he mumbled into her lips.

“Because I can’t keep my fucking hands off you long enough for our clothes to come off,” she replied simply, flicking her gaze up to meet his as she removed her lips from his. Her fingers were still in his beltloops, holding him in place, and she felt him swallow hard. Before he could reply, her lips were on his again, alternating between sucking his lip and his tongue as his hands slid between their bodies to reach the buttons of her shirt. She tugged on his beltloops again, sending a jolt of electricity down his spine and a rush of heat to his dick, and he groaned into her lips. He started trailing kisses down from her lips to her neck and the spot right underneath her ear that drove her crazy, and she gasped. His fingers still worked up the buttons of her shirt, and as he got closer to the last couple, he sucked on her pulse point and she moaned his name, each letter escaping from her lips sounding like heaven.

He pushed her shirt off and made quick work to unclasp her bra, tossing it aside as her hands slid up his back to his neck, coaxing him back up to meet her lips. Her hands moved back down his back as their lips collided even more hungrily than before, and she pulled at his belt buckle. His hands wandered between them, too, and he unbuttoned her jeans and lowered her zipper, pulling the two flaps of the material apart as his hands slid down her thighs. Her head tipped back, losing contact with his lips as she felt a breathy moan escape. Conrad moved his head back down to her neck and started sucking down on her collarbones, making her knees weak and her hands falter in their task to remove his pants. As soon as he slipped her jeans below her hips, he unbuttoned and unzipped his own jeans, pushing them down along with his boxers as his lips traveled lower down her chest, nuzzling in the space between her breasts. Her hands fell to her sides and pushed her jeans and panties down and stepped out of them before Conrad scooped her up. She giggled at the sudden movement of being swept off the floor, and she instantly wrapped her legs around him. She could feel his dick hard between her legs as he hoisted her up, and heat pooled low in her stomach. He continued sucking on her neck and collarbones and basically all of her exposed skin he could reach as she was wrapped around him, and she closed her eyes at the feeling.

He walked them the few steps they needed to enter their bathroom, and she reached over to grab her shampoo and conditioner from inside a box sitting on the counter. He hadn’t even noticed she had done that as he was far too consumed by his naked girlfriend wrapped around him, but as he stepped them into the shower and Nic released her grip from around him to stand on her own legs, he saw the two bottles in her hand. “When did you––” he began, gesturing to the shampoo and conditioner as she set them down on the little shelf in their shower before she turned around and kissed him so hard he felt his knees wobble.

“Not important,” she replied, mumbling her words into his mouth. He pressed his body to hers again and walked her back against the wall of the shower and she gasped. The feeling of the cold tiles against her hot skin was a shock, but he silenced her with his lips, and immediately the heat in her body was back. He reached over and slid the shower door closed before turning on the water, not caring that the water was initially very cold. As soon as it warmed up, he pulled Nic back so they were both underneath the stream of water, and steam started filling the room. She brushed her fingers through his hair as the water ran down his head and body. He stepped back slightly, letting his gaze follow the path of the little rivers that were rushing down her skin. Her eyes were dark, her cheeks were flushed, her breath was heavy, and her whole body was begging for his touch.

“Goddamn, Nic,” he practically groaned as his eyes raked over her the same way she usually did to him. Her eyes locked with his, and she closed the distance between them again, pressing her body as close as she possibly could. But it wasn’t enough.

“Conrad…” she whimpered, “I need you… now.” He buried his face in her neck and lifted her up again, pressing her back against the now warmer tiles as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

“I love you so fucking much, Nic,” he whispered into the side of her face as he pressed his tip against her entrance. Before she could reply, he covered her mouth with his and pushed himself completely inside of her, stretching her and feeling her walls squeeze around him. She moaned and gasped for breath as him filling her completely vacated her lungs of oxygen.

“Oh… God… Conrad…” she panted, squeezing her legs around him more as she met his thrusts with movements of her hips. He growled into her neck and nipped and sucked her tender flesh, causing her to cry out.

“Shit… Nic…” he groaned as he felt his own release rapidly approaching, but he wanted to take her with him. He slid one of his hands down underneath her ass so he could manage her body with one hand while the other wandered down to where their bodies were joined to massage her clit. As soon as he touched her, she dug her nails into his shoulders and moaned louder, her head pressing back into the tiles, her eyes fluttering closed, a slew of repetitions of his name falling from her lips. Before she knew it, she was seeing stars behind her eyelids, heat was spreading through her whole body, all of her muscles convulsed, and her walls fluttered around him. Not mere moments later, she was panting for him to let go, to release, finally tipping him over the edge as he spilled into her and bit down on the junction between her shoulder and neck, making her whimper.

They remained in that exact same position, a tangled mess of arms, legs, and heat as the water continued cascading down their joined bodies. The grip Nic’s legs had on Conrad’s waist loosened as he finally pulled out of her, and she slipped down so she was standing on her own wobbly legs. She leaned into him to steady herself, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. Her lips sought his and they devoured each other like their touch was more important than oxygen. “I love you, too,” she whispered as they finally parted. Hearts racing and breaths heavy, they paused to simply take each other in, holding each other in their embrace. “Plus, I think the shower works great,” she added, a soft giggle escaping her. He pulled her in tighter, smiling and kissing her whole face. She started chuckling at his actions, and before they knew it, both of them were in a fit of laughter.

“This…” he began as they settled down, “this is perfect.”

“It really is,” she replied, looking up at him through her damp lashes.

He flashed a smile at her and pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead before reaching for the shampoo and squirting a generous helping into his hand. He returned his gaze back to Nic as he dove his hands into her hair, massaging her scalp and eliciting a soft hum of appreciation from her as she closed her eyes. His hands moved down from her head to her neck as he began to lather her body. A soft breath escaped her lips, and he felt his body react to her already. He continued gliding his hands around her body, massaging her shoulders briefly, tracing the outlines of all of her curves, kneading her breasts, and she continued making soft noises and gentle sighs, her eyes alternating between fluttering closed and watching him diligently. He bent down, running his hands all the way down one of her legs, from her hip to her ankle as she grabbed some shampoo in her own hands and rubbed down his back as he was leaned over. He stood up to meet her eyes, and he pressed his lips to hers in a series of open-mouthed kisses, sucking on her lips and tongue as her fingers tangled in his hair and scrubbed his head, lathering him just like he had done to her. A low moan rumbled through him, and Nic felt it more than she heard it, but it went straight to her core, between her legs.

“Mm, Conrad…” she whispered as she slid her hands from his hair and rested them on his shoulders. He pulled his lips away from hers to look at her, and she held his gaze, smiling sweetly at his soft brown eyes. “I am so happy,” she said, her voice so thick and sweet he could almost taste it.

“Me, too, Nic,” he replied, as she rubbed her soapy hands down his chest and abdomen, her eyes following. “You’re my everything,” he added, tilting her chin up so her eyes met his again.

“And you mine,” she said as she pulled him so he was directly under the stream of the water. He closed his eyes and dropped his head back, letting the water wash all the soap from his body and hair. She ran her fingers through his hair a couple of times before he switched their places, putting her underneath the stream as he watched her. She brushed her fingers through her hair and wrung it out before he pulled her away from the water again and into his embrace, kissing her face and neck all over again.

She reached for the conditioner and squeezed a little in her hand, combing through her own hair then his as his lips moved lower, down her sternum and across her chest. She sucked in a breath as she felt her toes curl under when his tongue flicked over her nipple. “Oh God… Conrad… if you keep doing this… I’m going to… have to… come again…” she moaned, her breath interrupting her words.

“Mm, I don’t see a problem with that,” he replied matter-of-factly as his hand wandered between her legs again. She was still sensitive from her last orgasm, but she welcomed his touch. She needed his touch. He slipped one finger into her, then another, and she was already gasping for breath. He could feel his dick throbbing and heavy against his leg, and he ached to have her again. “Nic, you have no idea what you do to me,” he growled.

“Mm, I have a few ideas…” she replied as he stood up straight. She took his dick in her hand, twisting and stroking him and making his head fall back. “Like that, for one,” she added, a smirked smile across her face.

“Fuck, Nic…” he mumbled as his fingers dig into her hips.

“Yes, please,” she teased, releasing her grip around his dick and crashing her lips onto his.

“Mm, turn around,” he said between kisses. She pulled away and obliged, looking over her shoulder to see Conrad’s face pressed against hers, his lips seeking hers, one of his hands on her breast, the other down between her legs. She reached one arm out forward to steady herself while the other held his head and stroked through his hair. He slipped away for a moment, grabbing himself and placing his tip just outside her entrance. She was already panting, and he could feel her heat between her legs, ready and aching for him just like he was ready and aching for her. She closed her eyes, waiting for him to fill her, but he just dragged his dick back and forth across her folds from her entrance to her clit and back.

“Conrad… please…” she pleaded, wanting him inside her already.

He paused, taking the sight before him in: she was slightly bent over, her back was arched, she was practically glowing from the water glistening on her soft, smooth skin, and he couldn’t help but caress every inch of her body. “Nic… you are so fucking gorgeous,” he whispered as his lips lingered near her ear. He felt the heat rising off her cheeks, and her breath grew even more strained. “Are you ready?” he asked gently, one of his hands returning to her chest, his fingers swirling around her nipple.

“Oh God… yes,” she replied as a breathy moan. He placed one soft lingering kiss behind her ear before he slipped inside of her, filling her perfectly again. They both sighed together, finally beginning to stave off some of the anticipation that was building just moments ago. He whispered more sweet nothings into her ear as he massaged her breasts and tweaked her nipples, causing her to throw her head back onto his shoulder. Sounds of pleasure escaped her lips, and his rhythm grew faster and harder. She felt his moans in her body as he was pressed up against her, leaving no space between their bodies. He adjusted his angle slightly, and instantly, she was clamping down on him and intensifying her moans as he hit her just right. One hand wandered down to her bundle of nerves between her legs, and he rubbed her, continuing his work on her breast with the other hand. He was getting her off quickly, and he could already feel her tightening and spasming.

“Oh God… Conrad… I love you… Oh God…” she whimpered as she arched her back further, he hit her deeper, and his hands brought her higher until she felt like she was flying. Her legs were trembling, her breathing was ragged and fast, her heart was beating out of her chest, and all she could feel was him.

He came next, Nic’s reaction to his ministrations sending him spiraling into his release. He groaned into her shoulder, his hands ceasing their skilled movements, instead just gripping her flesh tightly as his thrusts lost their rhythm. He felt his senses slip away, his heart was racing, he couldn’t seem to get enough oxygen no matter how deep his breaths, and all he could feel was her. “ _Godfuckingdamn_ ,” he moaned as his whole body tensed and he released into her.

They were both panting, Conrad holding tightly onto Nic as they both began to come down from their highs. “Holy… shit…” he breathed, squeezing her more before he was about to release himself from her.

“Wait,” she stated firmly. “Not yet,” she exhaled, reaching back to caress his face as she leaned back into him. He snuggled her into his body, feeling all the places where her skin met his. They held each other like that for a few more moments, just breathing with each other, before they finally separated. They moved to rinse each other off again, washing the conditioner out of their hair and ensuring they were fully cleaned up.

Conrad turned off the water, pressing his lips to hers once more before he opened the shower door, releasing much of the steam and the warmth. He quickly grabbed a towel that was sitting right on top of the counter next to the box Nic retrieved their shampoo and conditioner from, and he wrapped her up before grabbing another towel for himself. They dried off quickly, and Nic tied her hair up in a quick messy bun so it wouldn’t drip all over the place. Their eyes wandered back to each other a lot, still feeling excited, happy, and even a little aroused as they put some clothes on, Nic opting for one of Conrad’s soft sweatshirts and Conrad choosing a comfortable pair of sweatpants. Fingers interlaced, they walked back downstairs and paused on the landing.

“Welcome home,” he whispered to her as she leaned into his body, feeling his arms snake around her waist.

“I love the sound of that,” she replied, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. He was smiling, looking around at their place. Most things having found their home, only leaving a few boxes left unpacked. His eyes meandered back down to Nic, and he caught her watching him. “And I love you,” she added, pressing her lips to his temple as he tightened his arms around her waist.

“Mm, I love you, too,” he whispered into her wet hair, the smell of her shampoo surrounding both of them intoxicating him. “What do you say to tonight being our first little movie night in our new home?”

“I say I’ll get the wine while you choose the movie,” she replied, starting back down the stairs and pulling him with her.

She poured two glasses and made her way back to the couch, Conrad’s gaze shifting from the TV over to Nic––trailing up her legs from her feet all the way up to where the sweatshirt hung, then further up to her chest, and finally up to her eyes. She caught him staring, following his gaze up her body as her cheeks flushed. “See something you like?” she teased, sashaying her hips a little as she moved to sit down next to him, handing him his glass.

“You bet your ass I do,” he replied, his voice deep and gravely. “Not only something I _like_ ,” he continued, “something, _someone_ , I love,” he added, snaking his arm around her as she settled into him, curling her legs underneath her and resting her head between his cheek and shoulder. She sighed softly as he put on the movie, feeling so… complete.

Them at home, _their home_ , and all this domesticity making her heart flutter. When she first met Conrad, he was so distant––unable to let anybody get close to him. She opened her heart to him and he broke it countless times, but what broke her more was when she told him she needed a break. She had never seen another human being look so broken before. When she left him at that bar, she could practically hear his heart breaking. But that was the wake-up call he needed to finally get his shit together. He did the work. He got the help. He was changing so much for her, but he remained all the same lovely, silly Conrad that she had fallen in love with years ago. He worked on the pieces of himself that weren’t allowing him to show her that he loved her deeply. And so much change led her to feel that same sense of fear that she had when he wasn’t changing the ways she needed him to. When they took their second break, she felt lost and confused. Conrad was her compass and she needed him. She threw herself into her work and Jessie, but when she felt both of those things slipping, she had only one person who she wanted to run to. But he wasn’t there. He was giving her the space she said she needed. But she didn’t need space. She needed him. She woke up one morning, her mind racing with thoughts and feelings of them together. She was scared shitless. Not because he was changing. Not because he wasn’t what she needed. But because he was _perfect_ for her. Because she couldn’t live without him. Because she needed him in every sense of the world. She was dazed when she showed up at his door, words rushing through her brain, jumbling on her tongue when she knocked nervously. But that nervousness melted away when he opened the door and his eyes met hers. His eyes––his soft, sweet eyes––cast a spell over her. Nobody had ever possessed that kind of power over her. In that moment, she was sure. He was it. When they got together that day, she wanted to pause time––to freeze that moment when they both seemed to realize that they were meant to be together. Her thoughts raced in her mind as her eyes remained unfocused in the direction of the TV.

“Hey, is everything okay?” Conrad asked gently, tracing little circles on her arm with his fingers. “I feel like I can hear how hard you’re thinking right now.”

“Everything is good. _Perfect_ , Conrad,” she paused and met his eyes. He waited for her to continue, and she blushed slightly. “I was just thinking about us, actually. How _right_ this all is. How we fought so hard to get here. And now we have it. I’m just––I know I said it earlier, but I am so happy. I hope you know how amazing you are, Conrad. I am so happy with where we are. I am so happy that you fought for us when I thought I couldn’t. I am so happy you waited for me. I know how hard you have worked to make all this happen, and I don’t think I ever told you how much that means to me. Nobody has ever made me feel the way you do. It’s like you see all of my flaws, all my imperfections, yet still look at me like I am the most important thing on this earth. And I know I closed myself off last year, not wanting to feel hurt again for opening up, but I realized that you are the person I want. And you opened yourself to me. You showed me parts of yourself you had never shown anybody before. You’re the person I need. When I am at my highest highs or my lowest lows, I want you there. I need you there. I can’t tell you exactly when I stopped picturing my life as ‘Nic’ and instead as ‘Nic and Conrad,’ but one thing I can say is I am damn well sure I like ‘Nic and Conrad’ a whole lot better than just ‘Nic.’ You said that _I_ make you want to be a better person? Hell, Conrad, _you_ bring the best out of everyone. And I love that about you. I love everything about you. Even your flaws and imperfections, our messy past, all of it. I don’t just overlook it. I understand it, and I love you even more for it. Because it got us here. And here is _perfect_. Here is my _everything_.”

Conrad was left completely speechless. Nic was more of an open book than he was, but that admission took some serious balls. His eyes were glassy, and holding her in his arms, sitting in their home, he felt a warmth that was different from any other feeling he had ever experienced. _I can’t tell you exactly when I stopped picturing my life as ‘Nic’ and instead as ‘Nic and Conrad,’ but one thing I can say is I am damn well sure I like ‘Nic and Conrad’ a whole lot better than just ‘Nic.’_ Her words replayed in his mind. _‘Nic and Conrad,’_ just thinking it made his heart skip a beat. They were going to be together forever. “Nic,” he began, his voice thick with emotion. “You _are_ the most important thing on earth. And I couldn’t have done any of, well, _everything_ , without you. Here and you, they’re my everything, too.”

The prospect of watching the movie faded as Conrad and Nic looked at each other, eyes holding so much love, hearts full, breaths intertwining to match their locked fingers. And after that, the movie was long forgotten as their lips met, a single tear sliding down each of their faces, and Conrad pressed down over Nic so she was lying flat against the sofa. It wasn’t long before he was inside of her again, both whispering how much they loved each other, whimpering each other’s names, breathy sighs and moans filling their home as they bathed in each other’s love. Feeling truly at home.


	6. Socks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little ridiculous, a little silly, and a LOT smutty. I know it's been a little while, so I hope this at least makes up for some of that ;)
> 
> Italicized chunks are directly from The Resident. I do not own these characters.
> 
> Enjoy :D

Nic woke in the morning to the heinous sound of her alarm, the angry red numbers of her clock staring back at her, painfully reminding her that it was 5 AM, time to get ready and go to work. She slammed her hand down on the clock, stopping the noise quickly. She was all wrapped up in a tangled mess of sheets and Conrad’s arms and legs, and she took a moment to admire the sight before her. Conrad still hadn’t woken up, his breath deep and regular, the rise and fall of his chest making Nic feel as though she was being put into a trance. She ghosted her fingers lightly over his face, sliding down his neck and over his shoulder before he stirred slightly. He wrapped his arms around her even tighter as he groaned a ‘good morning’ into her hair. She slipped her leg between his, and all she could think was how damn sore she was. Last night was certainly one for the books. After they did it on the sofa, he carried her up the stairs, and she completely succumbed to his touch and taste. They did it again–– _twice––_ in bed. She thought she was going to lose her mind, but all she needed was him everywhere. And he the same. Their bodies were being pushed to the limit, but they didn’t care. Their need for one another trumped everything.

He didn’t think he was going to be ready again when she started kissing him again after their first round in bed, but damn, that woman _did things_ to him. Before he realized what was happening, he was already half-hard, and with a couple skilled movements of her hands, he was ready for her again. It was all a blur of golden waves, porcelain skin, and heat, and _goddamn_ he loved it. She was so hypersensitive that she almost came just from one full thrust where his pelvic bone crashed into hers. And he almost did, too. The sound she made nearly caused him to lose his fucking mind. After they both came hard that final time last night, they practically passed out in each other’s arms, not willing or able to move to clean themselves up, falling into deep sleep within mere minutes of coming down from their respective highs.

He pulled her close that morning, visions of last night flashing behind his eyelids as he kept them closed. Nic wiggled a little in his arms, pressing every inch of her skin to him, and she felt his groan rumble through his chest. He was already so hard against her stomach, and as he opened his eyes, he saw her slide her leg over his hips and sit up, straddling him. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes before her hands found his face and she kissed him hungrily.

“Mm, hello,” he said into her lips, his voice dangerously low.

“Happy first morning at home,” she replied, matching his tone as she sunk fully down onto him and kissed his breath away.

“God––” he began, cut off by his own moan as she started to move slowly up and down. Her hair was a complete mess, some of her mascara was streaked on the side of her face, clusters of little purple dots were spotted along her body where he dug his fingers into her or sucked to the point of bruising, but she looked absolutely breathtaking. He watched himself disappear into her over and over, and she watched him begin to lose it.

“Fuck…” he groaned, gripping her hips again, making her whimper because she was tender. She grabbed one of his hands and moved it from the side of her hip to her swollen clit. He loved that she was comfortable enough with him and herself that she directed him or did to herself what she needed to feel pleasure. He got the hint straight away, rubbing tight circles around her, and she came quickly after that. She stalled her movements, but he thrusted up into her a couple times and he came next, lazily pressing open-mouthed kisses to her shoulders and neck as she collapsed onto his chest.

\--------

_“This is a terrible idea––” Conrad began, pushing open a set of doors in the hallway of Chastain._

_“Oh, come on! Just play along,” Nic interrupted as he sighed. “We live under the same roof now––”_

_“Which is amazing,” he finished._

_“Agreed, but people get on each other’s nerves. Which is why I’m proposing we both get to pick one thing that drives the other one crazy,” she explained as he turned the corner into the lounge and began pouring some coffee._

_“Only one?” he teased, flicking his eyes up to meet hers._

_"_ _Cute, yes,” she replied, jokingly curt, nearly rolling her eyes, “and we both try to quell the thing in an effort to live happily ever after,” she finished, not dignifying his little tease in the least as she took the cup of coffee he was holding and moved to sit on the sofa. He smirked and poured another cup of coffee for himself before sitting down in the chair next to her._

_“Okay,” he sighed as he takes a seat, “here we go.”_

_“Okay,” she mirrored, “go ahead.”_

_“You do this––this thing… when you eat…” he began, looking down at his coffee and taking a sip to hide his face from hers._

_She looked utterly confused. “What?” she asked._

_Conrad looked straight at her, preparing to imitate exactly what she did that drove him absolutely insane. He held out his hand, pretending to eat something, and began to make an absurd amount of pleasure noises, “mmm, mmm, MMMmm,” he moaned as he fake-chewed the imaginary food._

_Nic’s jaw dropped at his display. “And that annoys you?” she pressed after picking her jaw up from the floor._

_“You have no idea…” he replied, chuckling lightly as he took another sip of his coffee._

_“I just like food!” she exclaimed, trying to defend her actions._

_“This is why I didn’t want to do it!” he replied, feeling a bit uneasy._

_“Alright, fine yeah you’re right,” she replied calmly, now knowing that she got to pick something that drove her crazy, and he felt his unease melt away slightly. He knew she wasn’t actually pissed. She’s terrifying when that’s the case. She was simply surprised. “I can totally enjoy my food… silently,” she added sarcastically._

_She was about to dig into him about the thing that drove her crazy, but they were interrupted by a terrifying news incident that required their immediate attention. Her “thing” would have to wait until later. They needed to focus and get their heads in the game. The workday ahead was not going to be easy._

\-----

Seven hours later, they finally exited the hospital. They were both so completely spent that they didn’t speak much on their walk back home. _Home_. It was still such an amazing concept. They shared the same _home_. They walked side by side in comfortable silence, Conrad’s arm around her shoulders as hers was wrapped around his waist. They made sure to keep touching to a minimum while at Chastain, but as soon as they left the confines of the hospital, they needed to have as much contact as possible with each other. Seeing each other all day at work and not being able to touch was a form of torture for sure, but they made it work. They were a fantastic work team as well as life team, and they wouldn’t change anything about the way they operated in either sphere.

They arrived at their house following their short but peaceful walk, and Nic immediately went to the kitchen to grab two glasses and a bottle of wine. Conrad settled onto the couch, and he turned on the TV, wanting to hear the updates about the situation they had to take care of at the hospital earlier that day.

_As he listened, Nic walked over to where he was sitting and snuggled up next to him as he turned off the TV and cuddled her in. He took one of the glasses she was holding, and before he could take a sip of the liquid, he reminded her about their conversation earlier that day._

_“I want to know what that thing is that drives you nuts! I’ve been bracing myself all day,” he chuckled, his arm resting perfectly across her shoulder._

_“Mmm,” Nic sighed in approval, preparing herself to explain the thing that drives her crazy. “I thought you’d never ask,” she replied in a low whisper as Conrad hummed in response._

_She wiggled out of his embrace, and he was already confused. She sat up and brought one of her legs up towards her, eyeing him playfully. She reached for her sock and pulled it off, stretching her leg out over his._

_“You don’t like it when I’m barefoot?” he asked, completely clueless._

_She raised her eyebrows again as she repeated the same removal of her sock on her other foot, dramatically tossing them onto the floor._

_“What are you doing?” he asked, completely confused by her actions._

_“The socks,” Nic practically scoffed, a smile tugging at her lips._

_“What?” he asked, still having no idea what she was on about._

_She set her wine glass down on the coffee table as she sat up and perched on one of her feet. “You leave socks, all over the place. It’s a thing that makes me crazy. It’s like a sock trail all over the house!” she explained, gesturing her hands close to his face to convey her sentiment of annoyance._

_“No, I do not!” he replied, minorly defensive._

_“You do, look! There’s a pair over there!” she exclaimed, leaning over him to point at the socks left in the middle of the hallway. “Men’s, size ten, sometimes a little sweaty,” she continued, describing the socks._

_His expression transformed from confused to feeling like he needed to control his laughter as he saw how much this was driving her crazy. He turned around to meet her face, letting out a soft chuckle at her display. “Okay,” he laughed, “I can work on that.”_

_“I––” Nic began, eyes widening as she pressed her fingertips together, trying to find the right words. She needed more than just ‘try.’ “Like I mean…” she began again, wanting him to know that she wants him to actually pick up his socks. This wasn’t some game, but it sure as hell was funny._

_He reached his hand to hold the base of her head, and she smiled and melted into his touch. “I…” he began, leaning his face towards hers. “…will work…” he started again, his lips just millimeters from hers._

_“…like work real hard on it…” she added, leaning away from him slightly, trying desperately to not fall victim to his charm. But she was failing._

_“…real hard…” he repeated, his voice dropping lower as his lips finally found hers._

_“…because it’s…” she tried to continue, but he interrupted her with his kisses, “…gross…” she finally said, feeling him smiling against her lips._

_They pulled apart, and Conrad stroked his fingers through her hair as she gave him one last ‘I love you but I’m serious about this’ glance. He flashed her his smile and pulled back into his embrace, his hands falling back where they were prior to their discussion of him leaving his socks everywhere._

She closed her eyes briefly, reflecting on the past couple of days. My, what a whirlwind they had been. But she wouldn’t change anything about it. They were finally home. This was their everything.

That moment of peace and reflection didn’t last too long though, as Nic suddenly gasped, making Conrad’s hands fly up away from her.

“What the hell?” he asked, concern flashing across his eyes.

“We should host a game night!” she exclaimed, completely out of nowhere, and seemingly unfazed by his display of concern.

“A _what?_ What made you think of that? _”_ he asked again, still taken aback by her reaction.

“A game night. Like the one we went to at Irving’s place two weeks ago. Jess invited us to yesterday’s, but we were a little… _busy_ …” she began.

“Oh, were we supposed to go somewhere yesterday? I honestly much preferred our little _utilities check_ …” he interrupted, a playful smirk spreading across his face.

“Mm, well, we _did_ need to make sure everything was in working order…” she added, compounding his playfulness, “but, we should host one now that we’re finally officially moved in!” she exclaimed, her eyes twinkling.

 _Fuck, she sure makes it hard to say no to her_ , Conrad thought. Her eyes pried into his heart, and she finally got him to crack. _If she wasn’t so damn cute…_ he thought. “Fine,” he sighed, “we can host next week’s ‘game night.’”

She squealed and threw her arms back around his neck, pressing her lips to his in a chaste kiss as she whispered a series of “thank you’s” and “I love you’s,” and he couldn’t help but wonder what the hell he had just gotten himself into.

“I’ll call Jess right away! I don’t want you changing your mind on me,” she teased, giving him another quick peck before she stood and dialed Jess’ number. She paced around the kitchen as she spoke to Jess, excitement literally bubbling out of her. Conrad was happy that she was happy, and he was actually starting to warm up a little to the idea of a game night. Watching her like that, he just couldn’t help himself. He found himself following her into the kitchen and wrapping his arms around her waist as she spoke to Jess. He could hear Jess’ excited squeals through the phone, and he nuzzled his face into Nic’s neck, holding her tight and placing a sweet kiss on her neck.

“I know! Wait, who’s playing next week?” Nic said quickly into the phone, a little more breathless than intended as Conrad trailed soft little kisses up from her neck to her jaw then underneath her ear before finally reaching the corner of her mouth. She couldn’t stifle the soft sigh that fell through her lips, and she could hear Jess giggling on the other end of the line.

“No, no! Nothing _suspicious_ is going on, I’m just excited about game ni––” Nic began, almost embarrassed by how much Conrad affected her, but she really lost it when one of his hands snaked between her legs and pressed into her. “oh _FUCK_!” she exclaimed at his touch. “Sorry, I saw a spider…” she squeaked out into the phone, swatting at Conrad’s hands as he chuckled. She shot him an icy look, attempting to salvage any part of her dignity, but his laugh melted her. _Two can play at this game_ , she thought.

“Yeah, I was just in the kitchen and I felt _something_ on me, so I looked down and it was nothing but a _pesky bug_ ,” Nic continued, flashing her eyes back at him as she turned around to face him. “Right, you know, moving into a new house. There’s bound to be a few _pests_ that show up at _inconvenient times_ ,” she continued into the phone, but her gaze shifted. There was something else there. And it was unmistakably lust. She was playing. Game on.

She raised one of her hands up to the first button on her shirt and undid it, followed by the next. Then the next. Until her shirt was completely open and she shrugged it off. She watched Conrad’s eyes widen, but she stopped him moving closer to her with one of her hands, keeping him at arms length. He reached his hands for her, but she pushed them away. And it was seriously turning him on.

“Oh yes, right. The Vikings! Do you have purple napkins?” she continued her conversation with Jess, holding Conrad’s gaze. His eyes raked her body, literally undressing her with his eyes. She smirked, then held the phone between her cheek and shoulder as she hummed in approval of whatever Jess said on the other end. Her fingers slid down her own body, stopping at the waist of her jeans. She moved slowly, deliberately, watching Conrad the whole time. “Mmhmmm,” she purred to Jess and to him as she unbuttoned her jeans. Conrad moved towards her, but she pushed him away again.

“Right, okay! Purple napkins taken care of. Hey, can you remind me of Irving’s allergies again? I want to make sure he can _eat all the snacks_ we have,” she added, unzipping her jeans slowly and slipping a hand inside them. Conrad was breathing heavier now for sure, his hands just aching to touch her. But he wasn’t going to lie, this entire display was, though insanely frustrating, also really fucking hot. She turned around so her back was facing him again, and she pulled her jeans down over her ass and below her knees in a slow, sexy movement.

“ _Fuck_ ,” he groaned quietly, watching her bend over right in front of him. She stood again, looking over her shoulder at him, his eyes dark pools of desire, one hand on the counter, gripping it tightly. She smirked again, stepping slowly out of her jeans, leaving her clad in her black lingerie set, and she swore she could see the desire radiating out from every fiber of Conrad’s being.

“Aww, sounds great, Jess! How are the two of you doing?” Nic breathed into the phone, her voice sweet as her free hand slipped underneath the cup of her bra. She pulled the phone away from her ear slightly and released a quiet breathy moan. Her hand moved to her back and she unclasped her bra, exposing her breasts, her nipples already aroused to hard peaks. Her eyes met Conrad’s and he was pulling his shirt off over his head and unbuttoning his jeans. She smirked as she brought the phone back to her ear and hummed in approval over something Jess said on the other end of the line. His hands slipped down into his boxers as he groaned, his raging erection becoming painful. She slid one of her hands into her panties and pressed her fingers up into her hot, wet core. She bit her lip to stifle the moan that was begging to burst out of her. They were so close to each other but not touching, just touching themselves in front of each other. And it was hot. Really hot. She was starting to lose her goddamn mind, but when he pulled his boxers down and gave himself two long and slow strokes, she was completely finished. She needed him. Right fucking now.

He lifted his gaze to meet hers, and she quickly told Jess that she wanted to hear about how the hell Irving got himself stuck under the bed. She needed Jess to start telling a story because once she started, she literally did not stop until she reached the end of the story. And because of her theatrical background, she loved to describe _everything_. That was exactly what Nic needed. Time. Jess said that this was going to be a lengthy story and that Nic should get comfortable and maybe grab a glass of wine. Nic chuckled softly and quickly muted her phone and put it on speaker before pulling off her panties.

She threw her phone onto the counter and rushed towards him. It all happened so fast, and it took Conrad a second to catch up with what had just happened. He grunted as she jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms and legs around him.

“Shit, Nic…” he groaned.

“Fuck me, Conrad…” she moaned in response, attacking him with kisses.

“Jess?” he asked, his voice thick with sex.

“On mute,” she replied, her lips consuming his.

He was so hard, and she was so wet, and before she could take another breath, he was already completely inside of her. She cried out, throwing her head back as he nibbled her neck possessively. He slammed her against the wall, and she moaned “hard.”

“Nic…” he began, breathing heavy, eyes dark.

“Fuck me hard,” she demanded again.

She was so fucking dirty. He nearly came on the spot at her words. He shuffled his legs to get a more stable position, and he thrusted. Hard. And he grabbed her ass and hair. Tight. And he dragged his teeth down along her collarbone. She was overwhelmed, and she felt herself slipping away. Jess’ voice continued as she told her silly, innocent story of Irving, and Nic and Conrad continued fucking, exactly the opposite of innocence. The hand Conrad had tangled in Nic’s hair slipped down and pinched her nipple, making her scream in pained pleasure.

Her legs were shaky, her breathing was erratic, and she was already seeing stars behind her eyelids. The whole time they had their bodies joined together probably amounted to about two minutes, but they were both already dangerously close to their peaks. Her nails scratched up and down his back, definitely going to leave angry marks tomorrow. He whispered insanely dirty comments into her ear as he bit and sucked her flesh, pinching her and thrusting into her, and it was a lot. She was gone. She exploded out of pleasure and gasped and mumbled things which were half words, half groans.

Conrad softened his touches and thrusts as he felt Nic’s legs trembling, but she whimpered, wanting him to finish, too. He was already slipping out of her, and her legs were too weak to fight it, so she dropped down to her knees, taking his dick into her hand and mouth. He was surprised by her actions, and it didn’t take long until he came, his hot semen cascading down her throat as a deep guttural moan surfaced from inside of his chest. As she sucked the last drops from him, he stood her up and kissed her hard, and fuck, it was so hot. She still felt his teeth and lips and tongue and hands everywhere, but she was broken from her trance when she heard Jess’ next words.

“And I said ‘Irving! Get the hell out from underneath the bed! It was just a grasshopper in the kitchen!’ How ridiculous is that? Nic?” Jess exclaimed, and a couple seconds of silence filled the room.

Nic dashed to the counter with lightning speed even though her legs were still wobbly, and quickly unmuted herself. “Oh my gosh, wow, that is ridiculous! A grasshopper?” Nic said, very much out of breath.

“That’s what I said! And hey, didn’t I tell you to unwind and relax? Why do you sound like you just ran a marathon?” Jess asked innocently.

“I–– uh… I needed to deal with one of the chickens. Yeah, Shelley was making a lot of noise, so I muted my end so you wouldn’t hear _her_ _screams_ , but um, she’s _very well taken care of_ ,” Nic lied, her face flushed, her naked body leaning over the counter. Her position was enticing, and the soft glow of the lights gave her an angelic, glowy quality.

“Oh! I hope she’s okay! Do you need me to bring anything over?” Jess offered sweetly.

“Oh… that’s really sweet, Jess, but I think we’re––” Nic began before she felt Conrad pressed against her backside, one of his hands gripping one of her breasts while the other slid down between her legs. “Conrad!” she exclaimed, followed by a breathy moan that she simply couldn’t suppress. He chuckled, and Jess fell silent, getting an idea of where this was going. Nic was still extremely sensitive from her last orgasm, and she hadn’t had enough recovery time. Her body was extremely reactive, and Conrad’s simple touch sent her over the edge, nearly making her come without hardly doing anything.

“Nic?” Jess began. “Are you… _busy_?” she asked, and Nic swore she could feel Jess’ eyebrow raise through the phone. Conrad smirked into her shoulder as his thumb circled her clit and his fingers teased her wet folds.

“N-no, it’s just… he s-surprised me,” Nic replied, whispering _oh God_ , afterwards.

“Nic?” Jess began again.

“Yes?” Nic asked, completely breathless.

“Girl, are you having sex right now?” Jess queried, suppressing a giggle.

“What? No––” Nic began, feeling downright flustered. Between what Conrad was doing and Jess was saying and the fact that they were literally on the phone nearly fucking after already going at it once––it was a lot. It was silly, it was ridiculous, and it was goddamn hot.

“Are you on speaker?” Jess asked.

“Yes? Why?” Nic replied, confused and concerned about where this was going.

“Conrad?” Jess asked.

“Yes?” he replied, his voice rumbling through Nic’s body. She released a breath that she was sure Jess heard, but God, his voice just _did things_ to her. Especially when they were like this.

“You two are such dorks. Your voices are practically screaming that you’re fucking,” Jess giggled.

“We’re no––” Nic began.

“So… if I FaceTimed you right now––” Jess interrupted.

“No!” Nic exclaimed, “Er… I mean… I, uh, think it’s best if we… go… now.”

“You know you’re never going to live this one down, right?” Jess laughed loudly.

“Yeah…” Nic giggled. "But hey, now we're even! Remember that time when I caught you and Irving hooking up in the supply––"

“So... game night next week!" Jess interrupted, eliciting a burst of laughter from Nic and wide eyes from Conrad. "Just please promise me that you can keep it in your pants for that one night while we’re all there, and I'll promise you never have to see me and Irving going at it in that closet again."

“Deal. But it’s not me you need to worry about,” Nic replied, shooting a glare back at Conrad, who simply tilted his head to the side like a little puppy. She rolled her eyes, but that was a massive mistake because suddenly he had two fingers knuckle-deep inside of her, making her throw her head back and bite down hard on the side of Conrad’s neck. He muttered a quiet _fuck_ , and then reached for the phone.

“Goodnight Jess!” he said quickly before hanging up. He dropped her phone back onto the counter and kissed her breathless. She felt drunk and in heaven. His fingers were still inside of her, his thumb still pressing into her clit, and the next moments were clouded by a hot bright flash across her eyes as she came on his fingers.

“Fucking… hell… Conrad…” she panted. “You are in so much goddamn trouble, mister,” she scolded playfully.

“Mmh, how are you going to punish me, Miss Nevin?” he asked, his voice so low, his fingers still inside of her, pressing and moving ever so slightly to make her weak in the knees.

“Pick up your socks, and then we’ll talk,” she whispered seductively, followed by a giggle.

He rolled his eyes, but quickly gathered her in his arms, finally slipping his fingers out from between her legs. He kissed her sweetly, turning her around so she was facing him. Holding her shoulders, he just looked at her. The way he looked at her sometimes made her feel like she was the only thing that ever existed in the universe. Like she was the most precious thing. And her heart melted every time. This was certainly one of those times.

“I love you, Nic,” he said with so much raw emotion in his voice and eyes.

“I love you, too, Conrad,” she replied, feeling her voice wavering with emotion, too. “But, I still want those socks off the floor,” she added, flashing her smile she reserved for Conrad only, her chocolate eyes sparkling.

He chuckled softly, kissing her once more before he ducked around the corner to grab his socks from the entryway. When he turned back around, he didn’t see Nic where she had just been standing. He padded back into the kitchen, and he found her laying across the countertop, still completely naked, still completely stunning.

“Nic, wha––” he began.

“Shh,” she interrupted, “Come here,” she purred.

Conrad raised his eyebrows, but he so willingly obliged Nic’s orders. As he moved to the other side of the counter, he saw a container of whipped cream and a little bowl of strawberries.

“I want you to eat this off me the way you showed me how I eat earlier today,” she whispered, bringing his face down to meet hers in a sensual, _sexy_ kiss.

“Holy shit,” he growled. “Nic, you are so fucking hot, you know that, right?”

“Mmh, less talking more––” she moaned before her breath caught her words as he drew a line down the center of her sternum in cold white cream.

He dragged his tongue up her sternum, lapping up all the cream in his path. “Mmm,” he moaned, imitating the way she did whenever she ate something delicious. “Does this mean I get a little leniency on the socks?” he asked, his lips ghosting to meet her breast.

“Absolutely not,” she replied breathlessly. “If either one of us makes noise while we eat after this, we’ll end up jumping the other because of _this_ ,” she gestured to the situation. “So, we’re even,” she winked.

“Mm, not yet we’re not,” he whispered. “I'm not as easy to convince as Jess. I need a little more than just _words_. I need _actions_ to back those words up. And I need to _finish_ what I started.”

“ _Fuck_ ,” she whimpered at his tease.

They ended in a sticky mess, the countertop looked like the remnants of a warzone, stained with strawberry and sex, and they could hardly breathe. But they were so fucking happy. They took the things that drove each other crazy and truly _drove each other crazy_.

Exhausted, satisfied, sore, and beginning to show some of the signs of their rough night in the forms of bruises and bite marks along their skin, they cleaned themselves and the kitchen before settling back down on the sofa. They held each other there until they couldn’t keep their eyes open, and they stumbled sloppily up the stairs, their muscles completely worn out, and tumbled into bed.


End file.
